Ronda Rousey Says She Would "Clean Holm's Clock" In Rematch, Reveals Neurological Diagnosis Behind Losses

Responding to Holly Holm's rematch comments on Tuesday's edition of Up and Adams, Ronda Rousey (13-2 MMA) did not hold back. Rousey stated she would beat Holm in a rematch and is a far different fighter today than she was in 2015. But that wasn't even the big story. What came next was. Rousey announced she was previously diagnosed with cortical spreading depression, a condition she said was impacting her in her final UFC fights.

"I think I definitely have the ability and the opportunity to f***ing clean her clock and rewrite all of that," Rousey said. "But it's no longer important to me anymore."

Not Concussions, Something Else Entirely

Many people thought Rousey was feeling the effects of being concussed. She wasn’t the same person in the Octagon vs. Holm and Nunes. Those knockouts were so bad that most figured she just lost her chin. Well, as it turned out, Rousey said she “was coked up on anesthetic” while losing “like 55-60% of (her) vision” in her right eye and “47%” of her vision in her left eye during the last several fights. She assumed it was from concussions. And she thought her brain “was all knocked up.” But it was Cortical spreading depression, a condition in which waves of electrical activity disrupt the normal function of the brain and cause a temporary loss of vision. Dana White got Rousey in touch with the right doctors and they figured out the issue.

“I was diagnosed with something called cortical spreading depression, and I feel like that had pretty much been going on in every single fight,” Rousey explained. “I never would fully recover in between, so my vision would start kind of impaired. I would get like a small blind spot.”

Rousey elaborated that a week before the Carano fight at MVP MMA 1, she was given medication. Her treatment was taking one of the medicines that was still in the system, and Rousey was pleased to report that it worked like a charm. She elaborated that during the fight and her head hitting the mat, her vision followed her for the first time.

Still Retired Though

The medical revelation changes retirement. Rousey isn't walking away because her body gave out on her. She's walking away because she wants to. The medication works and she thinks she would have beaten Holm. She even lobbed former seven division champion Amanda Serrano's name out as a potential boxing opponent should she have decided to keep going. But she's doesn't want to.

"I don't know," Rousey said. "I mean, I guess if I don't have to, but I don't really anymore. I don't really stay up all night dreaming about it. I don't really think about that at all."

"I don't know, I feel pretty sure," Rousey said. "I feel pretty sure I'm not going to change my mind."

And so the world turns. Ronda Rousey's retired. Again. Maybe for real this time. But she made it clear that anyone who thinks she left because she couldn't compete anymore has it wrong.

Holm Started This

Holm opened the door earlier this week during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. She told Helwani that she doubts Rousey would ever want a rematch but that the offer has always been on the table.

"I always have said since the minute the last fight was over, I'll always rematch her," Holm said. "That's always been available. But she wanted to come back and have this win and go back and enjoy. No hate from me."

Rousey clearly heard that. And while she is not coming back to fight, she wanted Holm and everybody else to know that the confidence is still there. The losses did not break her. They were symptoms of something she did not understand at the time. Now she does. And she's walking away on her own terms knowing the medication changed everything.

"I am a completely different fighter now," Rousey said. "I would clean her clock."