Ronda Rousey says she was out on her feet from the start of her fight against Holly Holm and may have suffered a concussion in the opening seconds.
In her first post-fight interview, Rousey might have revealed why she wasn't herself. She may have sustained a concussion early in the first round at the hands of Holm, a former champion boxer.
"I got hit in that first round. ... I cut my lip open and knocked a couple of my teeth loose," Rousey told ESPN.
"I was out on my feet from the very beginning.
"I wasn't thinking clearly.
"I had that huge cut in my mouth and I just spit [the blood] out at my feet. Then they brought the bucket over and I'm like, 'Why didn't I spit it in the bucket?' I never spit on the ground.
"It was like a dumbed-down dreamy version of yourself making decisions. ... I was just trying to shake myself out of it. I kept saying to myself, 'You're OK, keep fighting. You're OK, keep fighting.'"
Concussion or not, Rousey was beaten up so badly that she hid her face from the public for weeks after the fight. She was given a six-month medical suspension by the UFC due to the extent of her injuries.
But the 28-year-old is resolved to return to the ring and take revenge on Holm.
"I need to come back. I need to beat this chick," Rousey said.
"Who knows if I'm going to pop my teeth out or break my jaw or rip my lip open. I have to ******* do it."
