photo courtesy of Sabre Blade via Flickr
On the second-to-last day of 2016, former UFC Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey made her long-awaited return to mixed-martial arts. Having lost her championship belt to challenger Holly Holm a year before, Rousey returned to face the newest UFC champion, Amanda Nunes. The fight was billed as a thriller, with two of the best female mixed-martial artists of recent times facing off against each other for the first time. If Rousey had won she would have done the seemingly impossible, regaining the championship belt and cementing her place as the top bantamweight martial artist. Her opponent, Amanda Nunes, held an astounding record of 13-4.
As they touched gloves, Rousey looked unfazed by the occasion. However, as the match commenced it soon became apparent that Rousey was unprepared for a difficult fight. Nunes piled on the pressure, landing numerous blows on a cowering Rousey, who could not muster a single punch in response. The dramatic conclusion came after only 48 seconds, as Nunes landed a powerful blow on Rousey’s face making her stumble to the floor.
The shock result of the brutal knockout went viral on the internet, with many, including Nunes, calling for Rousey to retire. Rousey’s loss spawned multiple memes and saw her turn into a laughingstock on the internet, with some making fun of her quick defeat and others even mocking her physical appearance as she received the knockout blow.
A week after the fight, a shattered Ronda Rousey implied that her career as a mixed-martial artist might be over, while Nunes was quick to rescind her criticism of Rousey, calling for her to make another comeback. In some cases, the criticism Rousey received in the aftermath of the fight was blatantly offensive or sexist.
Ronda Rousey’s humiliation is not the first time a former champion has seen their career violently derailed by a loss. Former UFC champion Chuck Liddell, regarded by many as the best fighter of his time, suffered a knockout defeat which left him unconscious. In the aftermath of that fight, not unlike Rousey, Liddell suffered from a “glass jaw,” which left him highly vulnerable to blows to the face. This condition often begins to develop when a boxer is knocked out cold and the victim’s brain is unable to soften the blow due to its unexpectancy, leading to sudden sensory impairment and headaches. After a while, symptoms such as erratic behavior and memory loss begin to develop.
Though for many fighters, lasting brain damage can be a result of a bad fight, few have received the same criticism as Rousey has for continuing their careers despite their conditions. As long as fighters continue to put their own safety on the line, there will continue to be stories like Rousey’s. How society treats these fallen champions, however, is something her shocking defeat has called into question.
