Din Thomas has concerns about the idea of a Ronda Rousey return to MMA competition.
Nearly 10 years after she was TKO’d by Amanda Nunes in just 48 seconds at UFC 207, rumors of a Rousey comeback are gaining steam. The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion has been posting training videos and noted she is rediscovering her “love” for the sport after leaving it behind emphatically.
UFC CEO Dana White told MMA Junkie this month that he’s not sure what Rousey’s intentions are but touted her physical shape from training. Does that mean she has a desire to step back in the octagon? That part remains a mystery, and UFC analyst and MMA coach Thomas said the situation should be straightforward.
Rousey was very open and descriptive about her issues with concussions and concussion symptoms in her 2024 book “My Fight,” revealing she had to keep issues “secret for years” due to fear of being held out of competition. For Thomas, those comments should be enough to disqualify her from being licensed by any commission for high-impact combat sports.
“She shouldn’t even be cleared,” Thomas told MMA Junkie. “How irresponsible would it be for a fight organization to hear all that then put her in a fight? To me, it almost sounds like you might’ve leaked that stuff in hopes they don’t put you back in a fight.
“You can’t play with those issues. It wouldn’t be good for the sport. It would be a real bad look on the sport to have some complaining about those type of issues, and then you, knowing that, you still put her in a fight. If that’s the case, we’ve got to keep her out of the octagon.”
Rousey, 38, found another career for herself in professional wrestling in WWE following her exit from MMA. She said she also had to cover up her history with concussions during her time with that company.
The UFC Hall of Famer said in her book that although she felt her knowledge of MMA was at its peak in the lead up to her final fights and losses to Nunes and Holly Holm, her body simply wasn’t cooperating, and decisions were made with her physical interest in mind.
“I’d like people to understand more of my reason and motivation behind things, why I was forced to leave fighting when I’ve never been faster, stronger, more skilled, and had a better understanding of the art than ever before,” Rousey said. “It was a really hard decision to understand but one that my body really made for me. I feel like this is the only way to really get that across in the best, most complete way that it’s not just a tweet and a headline short.”
To hear more from Thomas, check out his complete appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn above.
