Brock Lesnar Shares His Advice For Ronda Rousey After UFC Loss

Former UFC heavyweight champion and current WWE star Brock Lesnar appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter Wednesday, talking about a number of topics including Daniel Bryan's retirement from pro wrestling, concussions, and the loss suffered by Ronda Rousey at the hands of Holly Holm. It came out this week that Rousey had contemplated suicide immediately following the loss (although obviously she got herself back into a more positive headspace). In regards to Rousey, Lesnar, who has been there, done that in the UFC, had this to say:

I'm a big fan of Ronda's and have been since the beginning. One thing that I learned and she should have learned a long time ago was that you have to learn how to lose before you can actually win. That was one thing my coach taught me at a very young age because I was a bad loser whenever I'd get beat. You've got to be able to get back on the horse, and this life is very precious and very short. One fight isn't going to make or break her career. She's just got to get back on the horse again and figure it out and she will.

Lesnar should know. He lost his second professional MMA fight - which happened to be his MMA debut - to longtime UFC vet Frank Mir. Lesnar himself would get back on the horse, and go on to defeat Mir handily in their rematch. Rousey has all the skills necessary to do exactly the same thing, if she buckles down, focuses, and applies them. However, there are plenty of distractions she could fall victim to, something that had not been lost on Lesnar, who pointed to Rousey's busy film career as a concern.

I think she's got a lot on her plate. You can't be a fighter and be in 10 movies a year. She's going to have to step back and find out what Ronda wants to do moving forward.

Lesnar is making an observation that aligns with how many fans and pundits see Rousey's current situation. Coming off the first loss of her MMA career, and the loss of a title after previously seeming invincible, many expected her to reinvest herself in the sport. Instead, she took more time off for Saturday Night Live, photoshoots, and movie shoots. A return at UFC 200 is now very unlikely, and the less focus she has, the hard it will be for her to come back. As Lesnar says, however, it's mainly a matter of getting back on the horse, seeing how she feels, and then regaining her focus. If anyone can do it, it's Ronda Rousey - if she puts her mind to it. If not, she may be Hollywood bound full time (and perhaps in the WWE at some point) sooner rather than later.