Ronda Rousey wants professional wrestlers and other combat sports athletes to receive the same retirement protections now being offered to fighters in California.
Speaking with The Fight Culture at the Napa Knockout charity event, Rousey praised California’s efforts to support retired boxers and MMA fighters. The event was held alongside the California State Athletic Commission to raise money and awareness for the state’s retired fighters fund. When asked about her role as an advocate for the program, Rousey joked about the praise before turning the focus toward the fighters who could benefit from it.
“You’re asking me how awesome I am? Quite awesome, indeed. But I’m not as awesome as the fact that California is the first state to offer a pension for fighters in boxing and in MMA, and hopefully pro wrestling, Muay Thai and other combat sports next.”
Rousey then explained why programs like this matter long after the cameras stop rolling. She said retired fighters are often forgotten once they are no longer competing, even though many leave the sport without enough money to support themselves.
“A lot of fighters—for people, it’s just out of sight, out of mind. Once they’re not under the lights, people forget that you exist, and your life goes on.”
The former UFC and WWE star also pushed back against the idea that choosing a career in combat sports should automatically come with the risk of financial hardship later in life.
“Most of the people in the sport do not make enough to retire on throughout their career, and it shouldn’t be considered a stupid gamble to take on a career like this.”
Rousey noted that the biggest stars would never reach the top without the thousands of other fighters working underneath them. She believes those athletes deserve more than a series of short-term paydays with nothing waiting for them after retirement.
“We should be doing everything that we can to support them and make sure that they can make a living off of this as well in the long run, not just paycheck to paycheck.”
Rousey has competed at the highest levels of both MMA and professional wrestling, giving her a firsthand look at the physical price athletes pay in both industries. She now wants retirement programs to recognize that sacrifice before more fighters are left struggling after their careers end.
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