Current UFC flyweight champion Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson is not pleased with the way Ronda Rousey, who was once considered one of the best fighters in the world, has let herself go recently. Her head kick KO loss at the hands of Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November 2015 saw her unravel from one of the hottest names in sports to a relative unknown.
Losing a high profile fight in front of millions of people is very difficult for most, but everyone handles it a little differently. "Mighty Mouse" first tasted UFC defeat in a bantamweight championship match vs Dominick Cruz, but instead of getting depressed, he got back on his bike and went on a 10-fight unbeaten run, which now has him neck and neck with Anderson Silva for the most consecutive title defenses in UFC history.
Defeat is a critical moment in a fighters career and can either motivate them or bring them down. Johnson handled his defeat head on, and let it be a motivating factor, but when Rousey was dethroned of her belt by Holly Holm and was later again beaten by Amanda Nunes, she retreated.
“You look at Ronda Rousey: You got your ass beat, grow the (expletive) up,” Johnson stated in a recent interview with SI.com. “It happens. It’s mixed martial arts. I don’t want to be like that. If I lose, I’ll be like, ‘I lost.’
“Everybody (expletive) loses,” he added. “It’s part of the sport. Grow up. Look, Ronda, you lost two (expletive) fights in a row, and you made more (expletive) money than the women’s roster. You’ll be fine, don’t worry about it.
Rousey dominated for several years and was one of the most influential figures in MMA. She started off her career with a bang, winning 12 consecutive fights, all by stoppage, and was considered to be a transcendent superstar who was going to be around as long a she pleased.
But then things got a little tough, and she ran into adversity. Rousey was on the receiving end of perhaps the greatest upset in UFC history when she was brutally head kicked and knocked out by Holm in their title fight at UFC 193. She more or less went completely off the grid for over a year, but then decided to make a return against current champ Nunes at UFC 207 in December of last year.
Her comeback was interesting to say the least, though. She failed to do any media in the lead up to her UFC return and has yet to discuss the details of her crushing defeat to Holm, or her absence from competition. Her exemption from media duties might of been better anyways, because Nunes destroyed “Rowdy” in just 48-seconds by TKO at UFC 207, handing the ex-champ her second straight loss.
Nearly half a year later, Rousey has still not done any interviews or opened up about her recent ordeal. She hasn't officially retired from the sport, either, but UFC President Dana White is adamant she won't be returning to the Octagon ever again.
Johnson knows how bad it feels losing a fight. He's only ever been defeated twice in his whole career, but every time he's lost, he's come back stronger than ever. That mindset may be what separates great fighters and celebrated champions, but Johnson says, it was all about staying true to himself.
“I cried and I cried (when I lost to Brad Pickett),” Johnson said. “Then I was like, ‘I’m never going to feel that again.’ Then when I lost to (Dominick Cruz), I cried a little bit. I was like, ‘It’s part of life, you’re going to (expletive) lose, I’m over it.’ I came home and nothing changed. Nothing changed. Nobody said, ‘You (expletive) suck, blah, blah, blah.’ When I started to win, nothing still changed. The only thing that changed is people started to recognize me more. So now that’s my mindset.”