Is Ronda Rousey Dead: No, But Amanda Nunes Defeat May Have Killed Her UFC Career
This past weekend, UFC fight fans saw the return of Ronda Rousey to the Octagon for UFC 207. Hopes were high that “Rowdy” Rousey was back to reclaim her crown and that we would see the return of Ronda, the UFC Champion. Nunes has been adamant that she would destroy Rousey’s ambition, but as reported by the Inquisitr, some commentators predicted that Rousey would show why she was once the most feared female fighter in UFC. Some even predicted that Rousey would beat Nunes within the first round. Sadly, for Rousey, it was not to be.
Make no mistake: The Ultimate Fighting Championship is a tough arena. If she was to overcome Nunes, Rousey had to be at her best, but she wasn’t. Unfortunately, what we saw was an outcome no-one had predicted. Rousey was battered to a crushing defeat in just 48 seconds. Rousey was a pale shadow of her former self, fearful, timid, and seemingly totally lacking self-belief. Ronda wasn’t just beaten by Nunes, she was outfought, outclassed, and totally destroyed.
UFC fans are aware that Rousey was allowed to duck the usual round of pre-fight press calls as she continued her self-imposed press blackout. As a result, many were asking if Rousey was in the right mind-set to take on Nunes. The manner of her defeat suggests that she was not. As a bruised, battered, and bloodied Rousey left the ring, fans sensed that it was the end of an era. If Rousey had managed to defeat Nunes, she would have shown that her defeat to Holly Holm in 2015 was a setback rather than a career killer.
As reported by RT, Rousey was soon being trolled by the internet as well as by her opponent. Nunes, somewhat unkindly, posted a meme on Twitter in which she depicted Ronda as a crying baby.
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) December 31, 2016
On social media, fight fans were suggesting that Rousey’s career was dead. Ultimately, this lead to claims that Rousey was found dead after the fight.
So, Is Ronda Rousey Dead?
It is a sad fact that some people love to see the mighty fall. Former champions are often scorned, especially when they crash to defeat as easily as Rousey did in her comeback fight against Amanda Nunes. The hashtag #RIPRondaRousey was soon trending, and from that, it seems that rumors began to emerge claiming that Ronda Rousey was found dead.
The rumors were given credence when several outlets, including a bogus USA Today website, reported that Rousey was found dead in her Venice home. It was claimed that Rousey had been found dead in her bathtub and that needles and unidentified drugs were found nearby. It was further claimed that Rousey may have committed suicide and that Ronda had contemplated suicide after her loss to Holm.
Media Mass report that Rousey’s rep has stated that Ronda is alive and well, the victim of yet another “celebrity death hoax.”
“Ronda joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. She’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.”
MMA Mania also report that Rousey’s coach says that he has “no concerns” about Ronda’s mental state in the wake of this latest setback. Mike Dolce explained that Rousey had wanted to retire undefeated and that her defeat to Holly Holm was “like a death” to her. With that dream no longer possible, Dolce says that Rousey is much better equipped to deal with this latest defeat.
When Rousey lost to Holm, she just disappeared. After that defeat, rumors also circulated claiming that Rousey has died. On that occasion, Hoax Alert informed us that Rousey was alive but licking her wounds.
After her defeat to Nunes, Rousey released a statement to ESPN in which she thanked her fans for their support and said that she needed “time out” to consider her future.
Thankfully, it seems that Ronda Rousey is alive and well, though it is hard to see how she will recover from this latest setback. Rousey may be alive, but her loss to Nunes could well prove to be a killer blow to her UFC career.
[Featured Image by John Locher/AP Images]
