Maria Burns-Ortiz, Ronda Rousey’s sister, thinks a part of the UFC star “died” in Melbourne last month when she suffered a shock loss to Holly Holm.
Writing for Vice about Rousey’s incredible year, Burns-Ortiz stated candidly about the highs and lows of 2015. She admitted she’s not watched any footage back of the defeat from UFC 193 and conceded it was a loss that took a lot out of the former champion:
Then there was Australia, where we expected Ronda to win. Just like we always do. Just like we always will. But she didn't. I haven't rewatched it. I haven't read about it. I won't.
I don't see a point in reliving the moment when a part of my loved one died, when I saw someone I cared about have her soul crushed.
Rousey was sensational in the fights leading up to the showdown with Holm, putting quality competitors to bed in quick time, accruing a vice-like grip on the bantamweight division.
But Holm had a game plan aided by Rousey’s peculiar desire to fight upright in Australia. The former world champion boxer caught her illustrious opponent time after time and, fighting rashly, Rousey was eventually knocked out.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden stated, despite the dominant nature of Holm’s win, there was a narrow margin between the two:
People have no idea what they are watching. Rousey was sooo close to the arm and rocked her with a punch. A fight is more than the result
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) December 10, 2015
It’s why many, including Burns-Ortiz, are expecting Rousey to bounce back in style during 2016. “The world watched Ronda fall, but I have had the opportunity to watch her get back up,” she wrote in her column.
The criticism that came the fighter’s way in the aftermath of her loss was heavy. Although everyone who loves sport enjoys seeing an underdog overcome the odds and triumph, there seemed to be genuine glee in some quarters that Rousey had lost.
Burns-Ortiz had some pretty strong words for those who have set social media ablaze with criticism in the weeks following Rousey’s loss. Warning, expletive language used:
Occasionally I wonder how people could say such awful things about someone they don't even know, someone they've never met. I attribute it to the fact that their mothers probably didn't love them enough, and then I briefly curse out the part of the internet that allows people to hide behind anonymity as they let out the worst parts of themselves.
Sometimes, all you can do is think, ‘What the f--k is wrong with you people?’
Being at the summit of the sport and enjoying an ascent like Rousey’s means there will always be some people ready to shoot her down should things go pear-shaped.
So, in a peculiar sort of way, perhaps the loss to Holm may be a blessing in disguise for Rousey. Of course she would have loved to have retired undefeated, but the UFC star is no longer the invincible, unflappable competitor that many believed her to be.
Indeed, MMA journalist Josh Gross commented after Rousey’s loss to Holm that the former champion doesn’t need to make wholesale changes:
I still thinks there are ways Rousey can beat Holm now. Will take top-shelf execution, but she has the tools. https://t.co/4x0KZOWPjN
— Josh Gross (@yay_yee) November 18, 2015
It would be a huge surprise if the UFC star didn’t bounce back in 2016. In a sport which rarely sees fighters remain undefeated for long, one loss doesn’t eradicate all the brilliant performances Rousey has previously put in. She's still one of the finest fighters the brand has ever seen.
