Sean Strickland is known for his unfiltered takes, and during an appearance on Brendan Schaub’s Food Truck Diaries, which was recorded on October 12, 2022, he didn’t hold back on Ronda Rousey. Reflecting on her career, Strickland criticized how the former UFC star handled adversity, particularly after her loss to Holly Holm in 2015.
Rousey had been the face of women’s MMA, enjoying an unbeaten streak until Holm delivered a head-kick knockout that left the MMA world in shock. Following the loss, Rousey struggled with her mental health and openly discussed how the defeat affected her deeply. She even revealed that she had suicidal thoughts in the aftermath of her career-changing moment.
Sean Strickland Slams UFC Star’s Post-Fight Loss Comments
However, Strickland expressed little sympathy for Rousey’s reaction. In his appearance on the Food Truck Diaries, he discussed how he feels fighters should handle loss and adversity. According to Strickland, losses are a part of any fighter’s journey, and it’s how one bounces back from those defeats that truly defines a fighter’s legacy. He emphasized that mental toughness is essential in combat sports and that a fighter’s worth shouldn’t solely depend on wins or losses.
“I explained why I hate Ronda Rousey, why I find she is everything that’s wrong with the f*cking world,” Strickland said. “After a loss, she want on Ellen, and she said that she was in the back room, in the medical room after she lost, and for a moment she thought about killing herself. The she looked at her man, Travis Browne, and thought, I need to have babies with this man. I need to stay alive.
“It was on the news, it was f*cking everywhere. I don’t know when suicide became cool but it became cool, like they made a Netflix show ‘13 Reasons.’ Everybody’s f**king depressed, everybody is suicidal, and let me f**king tell you guys, it is not f*cking cool. It is not f**king cool. Depression is like cancer, it’s f**king terminal. It’s like herpes, you might not have it but you always f**king have it and it’s waiting to f*cking come out,” Strickland continued.
“Suicidal thoughts, for the people who have it, it’s even f**king worse. You fixate on it, you dwell on it, you start thinking about how you’re gonna do it.
“You start thinking about where you’re gonna do it, you start think about how your people are gonna take it, you really fantasize about it, and it’s f**king miserable. It’s not a fleeting thought because you lost a fight. And I hate Ronda Rousey because she used something so f**ked up and so serious as a ‘but I overcame it’ strong moment, when it’s f**king not. It is f**king not.”
Relembrar é viver, portanto vamos relembrar como foi a surra que a Holy Holm deu na Ronda Rousey… Vale destacar, a Ronda tentou encutar, tentou ir pra luta agarrada, e foi rechaçada em todas as tentivas, tendo sido destruída em pé. Mas de acordo com ela, entrou com concussões. pic.twitter.com/QeVhKPG0Fg
— Igor Serafini (@igorserafini_) April 4, 2024
After her knockout loss to Holm, Rousey stepped away from the sport for nearly a year. She made her return in 2016 to face Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 but suffered another loss in dominant fashion, leading to her retirement from MMA. Rousey then moved on to other ventures, most notably professional wrestling, where she found a new path to success.
While Strickland’s critique may seem harsh, it reflects a common view within the fight world, where overcoming setbacks is seen as a key aspect of long-term success. The MMA community often expects fighters to be mentally resilient, facing challenges head-on instead of letting them derail their careers.
Ronda Rousey’s journey, filled with triumphs and setbacks, has been a topic of much debate. Her influence on the sport, particularly in bringing women’s MMA to the forefront, remains significant.
1 thought on “Sean Strickland Dishes on Why He ‘Hate Ronda Rousey’”
He’s 1000% correct.