- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
The Bottom Line: Ronda Rousey Goes Big in Victory or Defeat
- Updated: January 3, 2017
Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.* * * There’s a life cycle to the careers of most elite MMA fighters. First is the rise to prominence, fighting on smaller shows before making it to the big leagues and then into the title mix. They then have their run at peak fame and success. Inevitably, they can no longer compete at the elite level, and they gradually move down the card. If they really don’t want to retire, they finally find themselves back at the smaller shows at which they started. Few MMA superstars burst onto the scene out of nowhere; fewer still disappear with little warning. Instead, they tend to fade.Ronda Rousey’s career, whether you ultimately view her in a favorable or unfavorable light, has not followed that traditional mold. She was a dominant champion and outspoken star within a year of turning pro. She reached heights of mainstream notoriety few fighters have ever reached. Perhaps most strikingly, if UFC 207 on Dec. 30 was Rousey’s last MMA fight, she went out in a burst of flames like few ever have. She went from making her opponents look like they didn’t belong in the cage with her to looking like she had no place in the cage with her opponents practically overnight. Most fighters at this point in Rousey’s position would be planning a path back into the title picture. That quest to recapture lost glory has led many fighters down the sad path towards obscurity. Rousey is in position to be a unique exception and walk away for good at age 29 for two key reasons. First is the number of options she possesses outside the Octagon. She has already made massive amounts of …
