Brock Lesnar on Ronda Rousey's suicide comments: 'You have to learn how to lose'

Brock Lesnar said he has trouble relating to Ronda Rousey, who recently admitted to suicidal thoughts following her title loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 this past November.

It’s not that Lesnar (5-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC), a former UFC heavyweight champion and current WWE pro wrestler, hasn’t been down after a loss. But he said it’s all about how the situation is handled.

Rousey (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) clearly had trouble accepting her loss; she said in a Tuesday interview on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that her post-fight mentality after the second-round knockout loss to Holm (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) was briefly one of self-harm.

Lesnar said that though he enjoys watching Rousey fight and supports the fellow ex-UFC champ, her attitude is not healthy for an elite competitor.

“I’m a big fan of Ronda’s and have been since the beginning,” Lesnar told ESPN (via Twitter). “I think one thing that I learned, and that she should have learned a long time ago, is that you have to learn how to lose before you can actually win.”

Rousey’s family history involving suicide is well-documented. Her father took his own life when Rousey was young, and she’s publicly discussed the impact of that moment. Despite suicide rates being higher in families with a history of such occurrences, Lesnar said he was surprised a single defeat triggered those emotions.

“Rowdy” may have been on top of the world before the loss to Holm, but it’s not a life-or-death matter, Lesnar said. Ultimately it’s just a competition, and as an Olympic medalist, Lesnar said Rousey should already know a single result doesn’t define an athlete forever.

“That was one thing that my coach taught me at a very young age because I was a bad loser whenever I’d get beat; you’ve got to be able to get back on the horse,” Lesnar said. “This life is very precious and very short, and one fight isn’t going to make or break her career. She’s just got to get back on the horse again and figure it out, and she will.”

Lesnar said what happens to Rousey next is entirely up to her. Should Rousey reach a place in which she’s comfortable to make a return to the octagon, Lesnar said he expects the former champ to come back with a vengeance.

In order to do that, though, Lesnar said Rousey must commit herself entirely. Rousey admitted the frantic pace of three title fights in nine months, including UFC 193, wore her down and took away some of the edge that made her a dominant champion. Add several Hollywood obligations to the workload, and Rousey put too much on her plate, Lesnar said.

Rousey could likely opt to never fight again and would still be flush with opportunities. But if she does choose to return to the octagon and go after Holm in a rematch, Lesnar said it’s critical she’s committed to the single task.

Lesnar said Rousey would continue to experience issues by pulling herself in multiple directions in the lead-up to a fight. If she sets her focus solely on Holm, though, Lesnar said she could recapture her championship glory.

“She can do whatever she wants to do,” Lesnar said. “She’s proven that, but I think she’s got a lot on her plate. You can’t be a fighter and be in 10 movies a year. She’s going to have to step back and find out what (she) wants to do moving forward.”

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