Life in the ring: Ronda Rousey's alarming future

The iconic UFC legend, Ronda Rousey, has raised the alarm regarding her future in the sport due to health concerns. She is arguably one of the most successful female fighters in the history of the UFC, and by the looks of it, she will retire her gloves soon.

During an interview for The Guardian, the WWE fighter confirmed her fears regarding her health and how previous injuries impact her day-to-day activities.

"Every time I forget my keys or lose my phone I think it's over," she said jokingly, but she has a serious fear of dementia.

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After more than two decades fighting in the ring, Ronda Rousey recognizes her fears revolving around CTE injuries that can ultimately lead to dementia. The fighter born in 1987 has suffered multiple concussions throughout her extensive career.

In her book, 'Our Fight', the American fighter states that her head injuries date back to her early judo days, at the age of 11 years old.

"Most of the year I had symptoms of concussion. There are degrees of severity but the worst was when I was hit at the Pan American Judo Championships in Argentina, held in 2006, when I was 19 years old. That day, I completely passed out until the next morning," shared Rousey in her book.

And not everyone knows it, but Ronda Rousey was the Judo world champion and participated in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, obtaining a bronze medal in the -70 kilo category in Beijing 2008.

"I had had a lot more concussions than anyone else in my 10 years competing in judo," she recalls.

"They already had enough reasons to try to prevent me from entering MMA and then the UFC. I felt it was a personal weakness and not a neurological degeneration that I have experienced since I was a child."

She jumped around from judo to UFC in 2011, which saw her career explode. In 2018, she would cash out and join the WWE scene.

Throughout her time in the UFC, she kept receiving multiple head blows, which only further accumulated the list of concussions.

Furthermore, the former UFC fighter fears her genetics won't help her cause either, as there have been multiple instances of Alzheimer's recorded in her family.

Ronda Rousey is now a mother and is now seeing things from a different light. CTE-related injuries are no joke and can drastically impact the lives of athletes and their families.

"I would accept living in a wheelchair if that were the price to pay for achieving everything I did. It can take decades until you realize that you took one too many hits. When you have children and a family, your priorities completely change," she shared in her book.

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Regardless of her fears, Ronda Rousey still maintains a positive attitude towards life. Life in the ring can be tough and short-lived, but it's very honorable to cash out when you can to further avoid health risks.