Ronda Rousey said she needs “to take some time to reflect and think about the future,” after her loss Friday, according to ESPN.
Rousey lost her second straight fight -- and first fight in 13 months -- via a brutal TKO at the pummeling hands of Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in Las Vegas.
“Returning to not just fighting, but winning, was my entire focus this past year,” Rousey said in a statement Saturday, according to the report. “However, sometimes -- even when you prepare and give everything you have and want something so badly -- it doesn’t work how you planned. I take pride in seeing how far the women’s division has come in the UFC and commend all the other women who have been part of making this possible, including Amanda.
“I need to take some time to reflect and think about the future. Thank you for believing in me and understanding.”
Rousey, a 2008 Olympic judo bronze medalist, did not talk to media after the 48-second bout, but UFC president Dana White said he spent 40 minutes with her backstage and commented on her state.
Before the fight, Rousey, 29, said she was nearing the end of her MMA career and that Nunes would be “one of my last fights.”