By Elias Cepeda

Former bantamweight world champion Ronda Rousey appeared on a daytime television talk show Wednesday morning in one of her first real public appearances since losing her comeback bout to Amanda Nunes in late 2016. Rousey went on Live with Kelly and Ryan to promote a new game show she's a part of.
 
Fight outlets inexplicably covering this interview like an actual news event may provide headlines telling you that Rousey did not speak on her fighting future with the two actors she sat with on Wednesday.
 
No kidding.
 
Some pundits and internet forum posters may even soon come out to criticize Rousey for supposedly "avoiding" substantive fight talk.
 
They should get over themselves.
 
Rousey came into the studio dressed sharply, smiling, and high-fiving excited audience members. She fielded questions about her recent engagement to UFC heavyweight Travis Browne, joked about their attempts to train together, and shared a scary story about recently having her home robbed.
 
Above all, however, Rousey had a show to promote. As she's always been when not faced with an opponent or with a battle looming in the near future, Rousey was happy, bright, and charming.
 
No, Rousey didn't talk much about fighting, when or if she'll fight in the UFC, again. That's quite alright with this writer.


Photo Credit: © Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports 

After losing to Holly Holm in 2015, Rousey was pressured to fight again, too soon, by her promoter Dana White and was ultimately put in a horrid match up against new champion Amanda Nunes. That exploitative match making led to Rousey's second-straight KO loss.
 
If Rousey wanted to jump back in the ring now, we'd know it, probably because she'd have a fight booked already. As of now, Rousey isn't talking much about fighting, because she isn't fighting.
 
Besides that, we do not want Kelly Ripa and the bizarrely buoyant guy next to her to be the ones asking her detailed questions about fighting or, really, about anything. Talking about loss is a deep thing, an impactful thing.
 
Shows like the one Rousey was on this week are superficial, vapid platforms, completely unsuited for the type of conversation that could ever shed light on Rousey's competitive mindset or on existential questions of life direction. Of course, we don't know if that's even the type of conversations Rousey wants to have with complete strangers, right now.
 
If not, that's no mark against her. Much of the conventional supposed wisdom of the past year and a half around Rousey has been that she has gone into hiding after each of her only two MMA losses. There's little compelling evidence for that.
 
Where, exactly, would critics have Ronda Rousey be? What does she owe any of us?
 
I've seen plenty of Ronda Rousey in the past couple years. She's fought twice in the past year and a half (as much, or more, than many other top fight champions), she's all over the small and silver screen, endorsing products, posing on magazine covers.
 
What more, exactly, do we feel we need from this young woman? Dense observers will point out that she didn't attend press conferences right after being knocked out by Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.
 
Good.
 
Rousey was concussed and hurt badly in those fights.


Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports 

She needed medical attention immediately after those bouts, not to talk to people like me. In all, Rousey has likely done more press, with both small and large outlets, than any fighter in MMA history.
 
If she now wants to slow that work down, or not dig into important subjects on shallow platforms, it is probably a smart decision. Fans will just have to live with not knowing for a bit if and when she'll fight, again.
 
Rousey has been in combat sports her entire life. She's made it to two Olympic games, won a medal at one and a world title in MMA.
 
She did all that while carrying the undue pressure of being a pioneer and breaking ground for women in sport and entertainment. Mostly Rousey has won, dominated, in fact.
 
Now she's lost a couple hard ones. After a long combat career, Rousey may want to hang up her gloves.
 
Perhaps she's still undecided on the matter. In either case it isn't a responsibility of hers to make sure that you and I, or talk show hosts, are kept completely current as to what is going on in her head with regards to her future.


Photo Credit: SplashNews.com/TMZ 

At just 30 years of age, Rousey has already done amazing things in and out of sport. She's taken some serious physical damage throughout her fighting career, as well.
 
Now, she has a chance to continue to make ends meet without taking shots to the head. We should wish all fighters had such opportunities.
 
I'm glad Rousey has something to promote other than a date where another person was going to try to hurt her and she was going to try and hurt them. Good for her.
 
Fans of Rousey's, indeed fans of fighting, should be content to wish her the best, hope for her happiness and health after she's so laid her body and mind on the line for us over the years, just so we'd have something to watch and pick apart while drinking beers and eating chips.

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