Ronda Rousey is speaking out about the silent battle that forced her to walk away from the fight game.
During an interview on the UNTAPPED podcast, the former UFC Champion revealed new details about the physical struggles she endured behind the scenesissues she says are only now being fully diagnosed thanks to neurological evaluations Dana White encouraged her to pursue.
Rousey admitted she dealt with vision loss, depth perception problems, and cognitive issues during fights, but kept quiet for fear of being labeled weak or making excuses. What she thought were just concussions, doctors now believe were actually intense migraine episodes brought on by head traumaand possibly linked to a genetic predisposition to epilepsy.
It got worse with time, Rousey said, to the point where even minor shots could trigger episodes that made it impossible to compete safely.
Thats when she knew she had to step away from MMA altogether.
Doctors explained that her concussions had likely caused a feedback loop: the more trauma she absorbed, the more easily she would trigger neurological shutdowns. Rousey says she once believed her fate was inevitable cognitive declinebut now, for the first time in years, shes hopeful.
Rousey says shes now working with migraine specialists and neurologists, and is finally starting to see a path forward. The idea that she was simply making excuses for past losses no longer holds weight, she saysand shes not carrying that guilt anymore.
Rouseys revelations shine a light on the very real toll of combat sports, especially for those who keep quiet out of fear of ridicule or being misunderstood.
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