A few weeks ago, I interviewed my good friend and UFC commentator, Joe Rogan for the second time this year. Typically, we do these massive interviews once a year, but 2015 was huge for MMA, and had a ton of major changes, both good and bad, so we decided to do a recap of sorts. As is our standard, we got on the phone and almost three hours later, we wrapped up a fantastic conversation.
I will be releasing this in several parts over the next two weeks. In this first segment, we revisit one of the biggest fight stories of the year, Ronda Rousey's tumble from the top. We discuss the backlash from fans, her meteoric rise to super stardom, the technical aspects of the fight, Edmond Tarverdyan's questionable cornering, what the loss could mean moving forward, advice for moving forward in the public eye and changes to be made in her training regimen.
Part I: Revisiting Ronda Rousey's first career loss & the aftermath
Backlash after loss
"I was shocked, but it does make sense, given the way she behaved sometimes and even her walkout song, I don't give a damn about my reputation. She wears that on her sleeve. Not touching gloves with Holly Holm and yelling at her during the weigh-ins...there's gonna be backlash if you lose. America loves winners, but they also love it when you're a winner and you fall on your face. They just love it.
The Ronda Rousey story in a lot of ways is a classic tale. It's a tale of a legend and a tale of falling into all of the traps that have come before that we've seen from famous celebrities and athletes. Everything except drugs... she fell for the distractions. When you're an athlete, especially a combat sports athlete, that stoic existence, that singular focus on the task, is one of the most under-appreciated aspects of training and becoming a successful fighter.
I think, for sure, Ronda had that earlier in her career when she had nothing else to fall back on, but now, she's just overrun with distractions. She's overrun with accolades, too, and I'm guilty, 100%, of that."
Read the entire thing here: Interview: Joe Rogan Part I: Revisiting Ronda Rousey's first career loss & the aftermath