CONTENT WARNING: The following post discusses suicide. If you feel distressed by this story, or if you are feeling suicidal, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24hr counselling.
To say that there was a lot of pressure on Ronda Rousey in the lead-up to her UFC 193 bout in Melbourne would be an understatement, but it appears that her defeat at the hands of rival Holly Holm affected her more strongly than anyone realised.
In a recent, emotional interview with Ellen, Rousey spoke of the physical and mental toll that the fight took, and revealed that she had suicidal thoughts when she was transported to hospital following her knock-out:
“Honestly, my thought in the medical room, I was sitting in the corner and was like, ‘What am I anymore if I’m not this?’ Literally sitting there thinking about killing myself. In that exact second, I’m like, ‘I’m nothing. What do I do anymore? No one gives a shit about me anymore without this.’”
Rousey went on to tell Ellen that her relationship with her boyfriend, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne, helped her through:
“I looked up and saw my man, Travis, was standing there. I’m looking up at him and was just like, ‘I need to have his babies. I need to stay alive.’”
You can watch the relevant portion of their interview below:
Source: ESPN.
