Ronda Rousey talks UFC defeats and how she was always meant to be at Wrestlemania

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  • An emotional Ronda Rousey has opened up on the agony of her UFC defeats and how she was destined to perform in the WWE.

    Rousey sensationally arrived on the WWE scene at the end of this year’s Royal Rumble in January following weeks of speculation over her future.

    The 31-year-old has since signed a full-time contract with the company and will be appearing on the Wrestlemania bill alongside fellow Olympian Kurt Angle as they take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

    Speaking on this week’s edition of RAW, Rousey told of the pain caused by her UFC losses and her life-long fight for respect.

    “More than being liked I just wanted to be respected. What drives me is the drive to be respected by those who I respect,” she said.

    “I did what an athlete was supposed to do, nobody else would give me the respect I felt I deserved. So I then decided I was going to talk a lot of **** and break a bunch of arms, and at the end of the day I can at least feed my dog.

    “I knew that I could beat up any woman on the planet. I’m not arrogant, I just know that I’m the best – why can’t I say that?

    “People need to stop being offended by the confidence of a woman. I was the best in the world, I believed I was right, and I was.

    Following defeat to Holly Holm in 2015, Rousey returned to the Octagon just over a year later only to lose to Amanda Nunes.

    “I remember my last fight, walking away thinking ‘God hates me’,” she said. “I had nothing left in me.”

    Rousey is married to UFC fighter Travis Browne, who she attributes much of her recovery to following her MMA loses.

    “My husband is amazing, and he really brought me up out of some tough time and he would just look at me and say ‘you’re not only this, you’re more than just a fighter.’ And that’s not a bad thing and something I should be ashamed of, it’s something I should embrace and showcase to the world, and that’s why I’m here.”

    A life-long wrestling fan, the 12-2 MMA superstar, says her focus is now entirely on wrestling as she prepares for action on the Grandest Stage of Them All.

    “It’s all lead to this, and I didn’t even realise I have always been on this path,” she said.

    “It is a dream come true. There’s a lot of pressure, but it brings out the best in me.

    “I thought the Olympic gold medal was all I was ever going to care about, but life happens and things change. Then the UFC was all I was ever going to care about. Winning at Wrestlemania feels like all I’ve ever cared about. I’ve been accumulating all the skills along the way to be the best at this.

    “I was always meant to be on this stage, I was always meant to be at Wrestlemania.”

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