So what if Ronda Rousey waited until years later to open up about her history with concussions? That’s essentially Daniel Cormier’s take on the situation surrounding his fellow UFC Hall of Famer.
Rousey raised eyebrows in March when she admitted that too many concussions was the primary reason for her abrupt MMA retirement. A few weeks later, Rousey followed up to specify that she was concussed before her 2015 fight with Holly Holm in which she was stunningly knocked out to lose the bantamweight title at UFC 193.
Rousey’s remarks rubbed some people the wrong way, including Jimmy Smith. But that’s not the case with Cormier.
“Only Ronda knows about the concussions,” Cormier told MMA Junkie Radio. “If she (was) having these types of concussions, the only mistake she made, to me, is by saying it later. Because nobody knows if she had concussions, but I will also say this in defending Ronda: She’s always been one that people want to critique, even if it was unjust. So when she lost to Holly, it was almost like the world celebrated. They felt like everything got given to her when, in reality, she was winning those fights. She was beating people. And then for her to come back and lose to Amanda (Nunes at UFC 207)) the way she did, everybody celebrated and said ‘to hell with Ronda, go and be gone.’ So now when she comes back and says, ‘Well, I’ve had these issues over my life,’ I don’t know how she couldn’t.
“I understand how difficult it is to do this sport as she did Olympic level – the throwing, everything in the room. It’s hard, man. I couldn’t even count how many concussions I’ve probably had in my life. Ultimately only she knows. I don’t disagree with her as much as most might because all she’s doing is telling her truth.”
For those critical of Rousey, the issue is a perceived case of making excuses for her demise, but Cormier doesn’t see it that way and said he wouldn’t if one of his former foes suddenly came out in a similar fashion.
“I would be thinking to myself on that night I was better – unless that person walked in there with a concussion,” Cormier said. “I don’t think it changes what happens in those fights unless she specifically goes, ‘The only reason I lost was because I had those concussions.’ And I don’t think that’s the case. I don’t think she said that. … If she flat-out said, ‘The only reason I lost is because I had concussions,’ now that’s a problem. That’s taking something from Holly. But if she’s just telling her story and concussions became part of it then it is what it is.”
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