Ronda Rousey: There have been times during a fight when I thought I was going to die

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has dispatched of her four UFC opponents with relative ease, so it may surprise you to know that not only has she felt close to defeat in those fights, she’s actually felt close to death.

Not that it really mattered all that much.

“There have been times during a fight when I thought I was going to die,” Rousey stated in a press release today issued by Showtime. “I thought to myself, ‘I would rather break my neck than lose this fight.’

“I will never tap out of a fight because I know the feeling of losing. I know that I would rather die than lose a fight.”

Rousey’s comments came in a Monday interview with longtime sports broadcaster Jim Rome, which was taped for a segment that debuts at 10 p.m. ET on tonight’s new edition of “Jim Rome on Showtime.” Rousey joins NFL veterans Eddie George and Michael Irvin, as well as NBA veteran Brian Scalabrine, as guests on the show.

Rousey, who is undefeated in 10 bouts as a professional mixed martial artist, is billed on the show as the “first lady of MMA,” and her place as one of the biggest superstars of the sport is undeniable. Her competition pedigree, of course, dates back to her judo career, which saw her rack up medals around the world, including an Olympic bronze.

Of course, she didn’t go undefeated through that career, and Rousey said it’s the losses that always fuel her to improve.

“It’s not that I’ve never lost; it’s that I’ve lost at the worst times, so I know what a loss is,” Rousey said. “That’s why I want to win so much more than these other girls.

“I know that I would rather physically die than die inside from losing a fight. I remember every single loss of my career, but have forgotten so many of my victories.”

Rousey is expected to meet top contender Cat Zingano in early 2015, perhaps as early as UFC 182 on Jan. 3 in Las Vegas, though UFC officials have yet to officially announce the booking.

For more on UFC 182, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.