Retired boxing icon Floyd Mayweather Jr. has offered crestfallen UFC superstar Ronda Rousey some words of encouragement following her second successive career defeat, which came against Amanda Nunes at UFC 207.
In a video published by Fighthype.com, Pretty Boy told Rousey to "come back" amid speculation her loss to Nunes may prove to be her last bout in mixed martial arts:
Below is a transcription of Mayweather's pep talk:
Ronda Rousey, hold your head up, stay focused, keep believing, a true champion can bounce back. You’ll be OK, everything will be OK.
I think that with her losing had a lot to do with time off.
[...]
Ronda Rousey has a lot left, she has a lot left. I don’t want her to think this is the end of the world.
She’s hearing it from the best—she’ll be OK. Ronda Rousey, hold your head up. You’re still a true champion in our eyes.
You made women’s MMA huge, so stay focused, go back to the drawing board and do what you’ve got to do. 2017 is a whole new year—you're undefeated this year. Come back, champ.
Rousey has undoubtedly heard a wealth of advice from many different characters on where to go from here, but Mayweather may be one of the few whose words of wisdom actually take hold with the former UFC women's bantamweight champion.
That being said, Mayweather isn't talking from experience considering he hung up his gloves with a 49-0 professional record, meaning he's never had to suffer the same trial Rousey herself is enduring.
More to follow.
