Ronda Rousey Says She Suffered Vision Blackouts and Neurological Damage in UFC

Ronda Rousey is speaking out about the silent battle that forced her to walk away from the fight game.

During an interview on the UNTAPPED podcast, the former UFC Champion revealed new details about the physical struggles she endured behind the scenes—issues she says are only now being fully diagnosed thanks to neurological evaluations Dana White encouraged her to pursue.

Rousey admitted she dealt with vision loss, depth perception problems, and cognitive issues during fights, but kept quiet for fear of being labeled weak or making excuses. What she thought were just concussions, doctors now believe were actually intense migraine episodes brought on by head trauma—and possibly linked to a genetic predisposition to epilepsy.

“Fortunately, I have a lot more information now of what was going on with me and I just felt like I couldn’t be honest about what I was physically going through without people feeling like I was making excuses for myself… Dana sent me to this long-term fighters neurological study… we’ve actually been able to diagnose a lot of the stuff that was going on with me and I guess still is.”

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It got worse with time, Rousey said, to the point where even minor shots could trigger episodes that made it impossible to compete safely.

“In these fights… two of my triggers are bright lights and head impacts. So I’d get hit and I’d basically lose big chunks of my vision and my depth perception and my ability to track movements quickly and make snap decisions—which is basically all the things that I need.”

That’s when she knew she had to step away from MMA altogether.

“I had to retire, because this kept happening to me more and more often and to the point where I would get a jab and I would basically go blind.”

Doctors explained that her concussions had likely caused a feedback loop: the more trauma she absorbed, the more easily she would trigger neurological shutdowns. Rousey says she once believed her fate was inevitable cognitive decline—but now, for the first time in years, she’s hopeful.

“It could be a game-changer because it actually could be some solutions to it. Before, I was like, oh, it was just inevitably decline… and until I am shtting my pants. Great, you know? This is my life now. And I was like, I need to stop this or else I’m just speeding this up.”*

Rousey says she’s now working with migraine specialists and neurologists, and is finally starting to see a path forward. The idea that she was simply making excuses for past losses no longer holds weight, she says—and she’s not carrying that guilt anymore.

“I’m much more hopeful than I’ve ever been… possibly, there’s something I could do to make it better.”

Rousey’s revelations shine a light on the very real toll of combat sports, especially for those who keep quiet out of fear of ridicule or being misunderstood.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.