Mixed martial artist Ronda Rousey believes that a faulty mouthguard and a concussion led to her losing the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 193 headliner in 2015, according to an interview released on April 2 on Valeria Lipovetsky's "Not Alone" podcast.
Ronda Rousey. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.
Rousey, who is also a U.S. professional wrestler, had a 12-0 record when she experienced the crushing head-kick knockout from Holly Holm that spelled the end of her career in the sport. The judo specialist blamed her loss on years of concussions, a traumatic brain injury from a fall down the stairs right before the fight, and wearing the wrong mouthguard.
In another interview with 1620 The Zone, Rousey said the mouthguard she wore didn't shield her teeth. The first time she was struck while wearing it, her bottom teeth were knocked loose, and she was off her feet and concussed, according to the interview.
Prior to the 2015 loss, Rousey was one of the UFC's brightest stars. During a more than two-year period, she defended the women's bantamweight championship six times in a row. Furthermore, Rousey made history when she became the first U.S. woman to win a bronze medal in judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing.
