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Ronda Rousey’s Injuries Keep Her Sad, New Interview Reveals Only Hope Lies In Rematch

By Colin Fredericson
Published on: 10:22 PST, Dec 8, 2015

Ronda Rousey’s injuries are only a minor source of her pain. Hurt envelops the soul of Ronda Rousey. Injuries can heal, but motivation, confidence, and esteem are much harder to heal. She wasn’t prepared for this. She had an entirely different plan after UFC 193. But since last month’s knockout, she has isolated herself in sadness.

Before the fight, Ronda’s mom had become very vocal about objecting to her daughter’s trainer. As the Daily News reported, she didn’t believe that he was properly preparing her daughter and gearing her fighting game to her strengths. Ultimately, she was so fed up with him that she didn’t get on a plane to see her daughter fight at UFC 193.

Though mom may have been prophetic, Rousey isn’t planning to let her trainer, Edmond Tarverdyan, go anytime soon. She values their partnership highly, win or lose. Tarverdyan has been her trainer since she began her MMA career. It was a challenge just to get him to take notice and start training her in the beginning. And she doesn’t want to change her training arrangement after one loss, even if that match sends her closer to retirement.

In today’s ESPN interview, Tarverdyan told of the value he places on what he and Rousey have built.

“We didn’t create this in one day, and it’s not going to be taken away from us, from me, from her, from anybody in one day. Whatever happens in her career or in her life, we didn’t do all this sh*t for it to be taken away from us. In life, things are going to be taken away from you. But we always believe in each other. We’re strong next to each other. Being united and being strong helps you get through a lot in this world.”

It’s possibly not totally the fault of Tarverdyan. Another huge factor is the pressing schedule of the celebrity that Ronda had become. She not only had to make time for fight training, she had to make movies and give press interviews. The balance could have tipped towards the celebrity side, pushing her hopes at remaining the champ away imperceptibly, until everything came crashing down. It would be hard for any athlete in such a situation. But after her last few record breaking fights, Rousey didn’t think a loss was on the radar.

After the fight in Australia, Ronda went out to the wilds of Texas with her fighter boyfriend Travis Browne. When she returned home, she stopped answering her cell phone. The only ones she allowed in her presence besides her boyfriend were her sister, mother, and trainer. They all felt the gloom surrounding her, and did all they could to motivate her. Her mother understands losing a big fight. Ronda’s mother was a judo champion herself.

Ronda’s mom, AnnMaria De Mars, reminded ESPN of past days struggling as a champion as she comforts her daughter.

“I’ve been in that situation myself, so maybe it makes it a little different for me than the average mom. I came home empty-handed not once but twice. I hurt my knee and I was in the middle of getting divorced. It was horrible, horrible, horrible. I cried for days. Then I went and won the world championships six weeks later.”

But Rousey is sober about what she has to do next. She realizes that a Rousey/Holm rematch win would be the only way to continue her career. She also knows a rematch loss will end it. But for now, she’s trying to get herself together, heal her body, and get back the confidence she had less than a month ago. Though Ronda Rousey’s injuries seemed rather serious, losing the heart of a champion, the heart that drove her to so much success, is the main concern of family and friends.

[Photo by Harry How/Getty Images]

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