The Fall of Ronda Rousey and the pressure to perform

Before her loss to Holm, Rousey had risen to the top with her trademark “armbar,” earning an undefeated record and worldwide celebrity. After more than a year of mental and physical recovery, It was a move she sought to bring back on Friday night. But unfortunately for her, she was soundly defeated by the current champ, Amanda Nunes who delivered a demoralizing TKO in 48 seconds.

For many, this loss was also a surprise, but not to the Noonan.

Noonan, my wife, can talk about MMA like any nacho-chomping, beer drinking dude in a sports bar, and she has an uncanny ability to know who will win and who will lose. Why? Because she can pick up on the emotional state of the fighters at their weigh-ins and during their walk-outs to the Octagon.

Seeing Rousey at the weigh-in, I thought she was ready to throw down; she looked lean, muscular, and menacing as ever. But, Noonan, said she was far from that, in fact, she commented that she looked “scared”.

And, as usual, when it comes to the fight game, Noonan was right.

This got me thinking about the mental side of sports, the pressure to perform, and ultimately to win. When Rousey was undefeated, she could do no wrong. She was the face of the UFC, a male dominated sport, considered an once-in-a-lifetime athlete who was unbeatable. But, the loss to Holm changed all that, not only in the public eye, but in her own.

So after months of seclusion and more than a year away from competition, we all wondered: Was Rousey really ready to step back into the octagon after losing her notion of invincibility 13 months ago? As it turned out, she was not.

So that got me thinking: When we all suffer devastating losses, how do you get your mojo back? And what does research tell us about pressure? More importantly, what is the best way to deal with loss and pressure in life?

I will tell you about what I find in the next entry. Till then, hope your New Year got off to a good start. ​