Ronda Rousey’s Judo coach discusses Rousey’s future

In 2016, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey returned to the UFC, after over a year away from the Octagon following her UFC 193 KO loss to Holly Holm, to fight Amanda Nunes for the bantamweight title she once held. While Rousey hoped to return to the win column and reclaim the bantamweight title from Nunes at UFC 207, it took just 46 seconds for Nunes to TKO Rousey and retain the bantamweight title.

Following the fight, many fans speculated as to whether or not Ronda Rousey would be returning to the Octagon for a second time. While the former champ has never definitively stated that she will, or will not, be returning, UFC President Dana White informed MMA fans that Rousey was likely done fighting, and would be moving on to a different chapter of her life.

This week, Ronda Rousey also revealed on social media that she and her longtime boyfriend, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne, had become engaged to be married.

During a recent episode of Submission Radio, Rousey’s Judo coach Justin Flores spoke about whether or not he believes Rousey will return, saying:

“There’s a lot of layers to that. Personally, from what I… I mean, I would support her, but personally I don’t think it’s in the cards. I don’t think that’s what she wants in this time of her life. I mean, I’m not discounting anything. Maybe later. But I just don’t see that being something she wants to jump into and focus full force to be the best. Because if she’s gonna do anything, from what I know about her, she’s gonna do it to be the best. And not that I don’t think that she can be the best, it’s just, I just don’t know if her body and her mind at this stage in her life, if that’s what’s right for her. She’s competed her whole life. Her whole life has been about being the best, and I just think personally, the best thing is for her to kind of be okay with herself not as a fighter. So I love her to death, dude. I just know the pain she’s gone through physically, doing this forever, multiple surgeries, concussions, broken bones, weight cutting. All those things add up and take its toll, and it’s accumulative. So being 30 years old now and doing this since you were eight years old non-stop, I mean, the mileage you’ve put on your body and that she’s put on her body, I just don’t think if she wants to, you know, live a long happy life and raise kids with Travis, which I know that’s the future, I just don’t think that’s something I feel like would be in her best interests.”

on 4/28/2017.