Ronda Rousey admitted during a question-and-answer that she did "a whole lot of crying" after her two losses that effectively ended her UFC career, USA Today reported. She also explained how to comport oneself in the "age of trial by Twitter."
Rousey, once one of the biggest names in the UFC and who has now made the transition to the WWE wrestling circuit, attended an interview on Wednesday by Hollywood director Peter Berg who directed her in the upcoming movie "Mile 22."
As she discussed the losses to Holly Holm in 2015 and Amanda Nunes in 2016, Rousey fought back tears while revealing how they still affect her, USA Today said.
"I did a whole lot of crying, isolating myself, (husband Travis Browne) held me and let me cry and it lasted two years," Rousey said. "I couldn't have done it alone. There's a lot of things you have to remember. Every missed opportunity is a blessing in disguise.”
"I had to learn from experience. From the worst things, the best things have come as a result. Time is a great teacher. It's that belief that time passes, even bad times."
Rousey made similar comments after her debut earlier this month at Wrestlemania 34 in New Orleans.
"It was me versus the world in an individual sport," Rousey told ESPN.com afterwards. "I thought I would never say this, but I'm so happy I lost those fights because it led me here. This is so worth it.
"… I'm just really, really glad I gave it time instead of giving up and feeling it was the end of the world. There's so many people who encounter tragedies who feel like the world and time won't heal it. But all I can say to those people is: Just give it time, even if you think time can't heal it. You never know what will happen and where it will lead you."
She addressed criticism of closing herself off publicly after the losses, saying she never learned how to lose well, USA Today said. She said in the age of social media, she's learned that silence is the best way to protect yourself.
"We live in an age of trial by Twitter," Rousey said. "What is really gained by stating opinion on anything? It whittles people down. It gets cut and pasted 10 times and it’s in (a) headline.”
"(Famous people) keep more and more of it to themselves. Why should I talk? I believe hearing me speak is a privilege and it's a privilege that's been abused, so why not revoke it from everyone? I don't believe public criticism beating you down is the right thing to do."
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