Ronda Rousey’s UFC 193 loss to Holly Holm ended her undefeated streak, but Jose Aldo believes it also ended the former bantamweight champion’s fighting career.
Aldo, who will fight Conor McGregor to keep his featherweight title on Dec. 12 in UFC 194, spoke to reporters Wednesday and said he doesn’t believe Rousey will return to fighting because she has other options.
“I think it’s really hard for her to return to fighting,” Aldo said, per MMAFighting.com. “Her career has taken a different direction. If I’m making a lot of money doing movies or something else, I’d go that direction, too. Am I going to mess my face up getting punched in the face? You’re crazy.
“In my opinion, I don’t think (she fights again). If she comes back, of course she can (win the title). She was always a fighter, but if I were her, I wouldn’t come back.”
In fact, Aldo believes Rousey’s career will follow that of Gina Carano, who has spent more time on the silver screen than in the octagon after her Strikeforce loss to Cris “Cyborg” Justino put her at 7-1 in 2009.
“I see this as Gina’s situation,” Aldo said. “Gina was a great fighter and went her way to become an actress after she lost to Cyborg, and she’s getting more attention than if she was still fighting. No diet, not getting punched in the face, nothing.”
But Aldo said even if Rousey does put UFC behind her, she’ll still have made an impact.
“I think the legacy Ronda leaves behind is that she changed women’s MMA,” Aldo said. “She put it where no one ever imagined, where even Dana White said it would never be, and it is now. That’s her legacy. She has done a lot for women’s sport.”
Thumbnail photo via Jason Silva/USA TODAY Sports Images
