Perhaps Gina Carano blazed more than one trail. Perhaps Gina not only put women’s MMA on the map, but the crossover female action hero movie star. It’s something to contemplate as UFC champion and burgeoning megastar Ronda Rousey announces the possibility of her leaving MMA in two years.
“I said from the beginning that I work in quadrennials,” said Rousey. “I do four-year cycles. I think I’ve got two years left in me, realistically, if I’m going to do this like an Olympic run.”
“I think one profession has a much-longer shelf life than the other. My last fight, I was kind of forced to face my mortality a little bit. I had an air of invincibility about me, and I was kind of forced to realize statistically there is a chance you could get permanently hurt or even die. There’s only so many times you can roll the dice.
“I am the best f—ing fighter in the world, and I truly believe that, but you’re still rolling the dice no matter who you are, so I do have to kind of set up an exit strategy. That’s what I did wrong in judo. I followed it all the way until the end, and I didn’t put any thought into after.”
“I really want to do something special, and I really want to be the person that was able to do both (acting and fighting).”
“I’ve got two more years to get the ball rolling without me. TUF was the first step. It’s not the last one, but the work’s getting done.”
