Obsessed with revenge ,"UFC Queen" Ronda Rusi lost to her pride

Ronda Rusi and UFC President Dana White first met and expressed their desire to join the UFC in the women's event. At that time, she was enthusiastic and charismatic, full of longing for women to join the UFC, confident that she could lead the way in the project.

"In that conversation, I kept sighing. If we do do this, it is this woman who does it! White recalled.

The most recent exchange with Rusi was after a round of KO by Amanda Nunez on the evening of December 30, local time in the United States, and Rusi was almost completely silent during the entire conversation. "I hugged her for almost 45 minutes and told her, 'I love you so much, no matter what you choose afterwards, I'm for you.' It was you who started the Women's UFC, which can't be without you, and you're the best choice I've ever made.'" ”

The two conversations were nearly five years apart, but everything was human — whether it was the whole world, the sport, or Ronda Russi herself.

She couldn't keep fighting, but White persevered.

In many ways, Russi has strayed from the boxer's career trajectory. She has publicly expressed her desire to get married, have children, and start a new life outside the spotlight; she has created film roles for her, she has also served as executive producer in various projects; she has earned tens of millions of dollars in revenue at the UFC, high industry recognition and other project support; her autobiography has become a bestseller, and her great power and ambition have made him a heroine.

These achievements do not mean that she can no longer be a champion boxer, but she may no longer need to chase the title of "number one". For most of the half year without the game, Russi has been looking for a reason to insist – is she seeking revenge? Or do you want to earn respect?

In October 2015, Ronda Russi was unexpectedly KO By Holly Holm after the second round, was she plotting "revenge"? Maybe it's about the showdown between spiritual legacy and self-esteem. The world's most powerful woman could not accept a defeat, so much so that she had to come back and save her dignity. "I want to be able to leave proudly after the game, I don't want 'good enough' to be my spiritual legacy," Rusi said before the game. Eventually she embarked on a journey of dignity and revenge, and even so, she had to ask her why she was competing.

There's nothing wrong with seizing opportunities, and there's nothing wrong with craving more. This desire is the main reason for her continuous efforts and growth, and also pushes her to become a high-profile star and attract a large number of fans. Women are often afraid to show their ambitions, and Russi not only tries to fight for it, but also refuses to hide it. It was also because she was strong enough before that she was able to say those words.

However, after losing to Holm, she seems to be a bit wandering, as if she can't become an indestructible "superwoman".

Before the match with Nunez, she was silent, saying that nothing would help her win the game. She would rather be interviewed on the Allen Show, Conan Show and ESPN than participate in the promotion and media activities of the traditional game week.

She was going her own way, not what others had expected.

A few weeks ago, a male colleague said: "I heard that she is playing worse and worse, she can't get on the stage in New York, and she doesn't want to improve her ability." The word "getting worse and worse" is striking.

In fact, after her loss to Holm, her competitive state gradually improved, and her psychology and spirit were restored after she was far away from exposure. But for most people, after falling from the altar, they also lose the motivation to support. There are so many emotions mixed in that it's hard to predict what will happen to her afterwards. Instead of trying to understand her, it is better to directly believe that her mentality is fragmented. This is Russi's problem, and it is difficult for her to let go in the face of people's doubts and disappointments. She never really accepted the defeat of the showdown with Holm, but constantly separated.

In the match against Núñez, it was as if she had not yet come out of the shadows of a year ago. Facing Núñez, she rarely moved her head and defended, and was hit in the head by her opponents consecutively, and the game ended after a 48-second blitzkrieg.

Leaning against the cage, Russi had a sad expression on her face, nunez came over and grabbed her shoulder in tribute, and the opponent said, "You have contributed so much to the sport", but the Russi supporters at the scene fell into shock and sadness.

White said: "I walked out of the arena and saw people crying, she was an unparalleled icon, partner and friend. Hundreds of people loved her, and she really deserved it. I've met many popular stars, and some of them don't deserve to be loved by you. But Ronda Russi is different from them, she's amazing. However, White can't avoid Rusi's future retirement plans, which may be the last game of her career, but White and her team believe that everything will take time to make a final decision.

This failure may mark the end of Russi's career, but the real strong ones actually need to face failure and deal with failure.

NBA top star LeBron James may have some advice for Rusi, one of her supporters. LeBron James said in an interview that similar experiences enabled him to understand Russi. "In sports, people will lift you up to the sky and then ruin you, and that's exactly what she's going through. As an athlete, I have experienced such things and been able to empathize with her. People don't know her mental state or whether she's motivated, they just can tell she's trying. But people prefer stories of falling from a height to how to climb to the top. ”

Former Lakers star Kobe Bryant has similar feelings with LeBron. Bryant believes that everything Russi has done for MMA deserves praise and tribute, not accusations against her. Bryant tweeted, "Don't blame Russi for her defeat, her efforts to make the sport famous deserve the greatest praise." ”

Both LeBron and Bryant have experienced career lows, but have also regained their success through persistence and focus. Could all this happen to Russie too? It's up to her to decide.

But if this is her final battle, White wants Ronda Russi to know that everything he has left for the UFC is precious, "and everything is because of Ronda Russi".