UFC 207's Ronda Rousey driven by the memory of her father

(This story first appeared at USAToday.com.)

LOS ANGELES – As she heads into the toughest challenge of her MMA career on Friday, Ronda Rousey will seek comfort from a familiar source.

Rousey’s father Ron died when she was 8, but his influence on his daughter is still ever-present heading into Friday’s UFC 207 main event against bantamweight title-holder Amanda Nunes.

“Ronda’s dad always said she was ‘a sleeper,'” Rousey’s mother, former world judo champion AnnMaria De Mars told USA TODAY Sports. “We would worry about her as a kid, but Ron was never concerned. He knew she was destined for big things, and he would always say that. They were very close, and his memory is still very important to her.”

Rousey had speech problems as a child but forged a special bond with her father. Ron Rousey committed suicide in 1995, having suffered from depression after sustaining a back injury that failed to heal properly due to a rare blood disorder.

“I’ve tried to remember something from the before part of that day – what my dad was wearing, what he looked like, what he sounded like,” Rousey wrote in her autobiography “My Fight/Your Fight.” “I wish I could remember the words he said to me before he walked out our front door. I can’t. I just remember what came after.”

The relationship is explored in an upcoming documentary, “Through My Father’s Eyes,” in which director Gary Stretch and producer Pete Antico filmed Rousey over a span of five years.

“It was a very moving moment in the interview,” Stretch said. “You could tell she was hurting thinking about it because it is a painful memory. But there is something about Ronda when she talks about her father. Something changes. To me, there is no doubt that thinking about him uplifts her and drives her forward in any moments of self doubt.”

Rousey’s showdown with Nunes will be the first time she has fought since being knocked out by Holly Holm in November 2015. Having previously appeared unbeatable thanks to her trademark armbar maneuver, now many question whether she can again establish her dominance over women’s MMA.

“One thing you figure out quickly about Ronda is that adversity doesn’t scare her,” Antico said. “She has been through tough times, and she has always found a way to get past it. A lot of that comes from her dad and his own strength – and it is also very clear how important it is for her to honor his memory.”

UFC 207 takes place Friday at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena and airs on pay-per-view. Nunes (13-4 MMA, 6-1 UFC) meets Rousey (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) in the headlining bout.

For more on UFC 207, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.