Ronda Rousey doesn’t hold back. In a recent sit-down on comedian Bert Kreischer’s podcast, the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion expressed deep frustration with how the mixed-martial-arts world treats its own former heroes—singling out Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement as a vivid example of what’s going wrong.

Rousey argued that much of MMA fandom hinges on an athlete’s imperfection rather than their legacy. In her view, the only reason fighters like Khabib escape public ridicule is because they step away undefeated and undefeated at their peak.

“I think the only reason why MMA fans have their lips so firmly planted at the base of Khabib’s … is because he retired before he reached his limit,” she said. “If he kept fighting until he reached his limit, everybody would be like, ‘Khabib ain’t shit, he never was shit’. They’re like that with everybody.”

She painted a broader picture: fighters who once dominated the sport—Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Fedor Emelianenko and others—are lauded when they win but dismissed the moment they falter.

“Chuck Liddell: on top he’s ‘the best’. He loses once, they’re like ‘Oh, Chuck … ain’t shit, he never was shit’.” Rousey asked the brutal question: Name one past champion who still enjoys the respect the current crop of stars do? She called it “really sad”, saying this culture encourages fighters to depart while still perfect.

Comparing MMA to professional wrestling, Rousey found a stark contrast. In the world of WWE, even wrestlers who lost often remain legends; the industry frames their retirement as passing the torch, not being discarded. Rousey explained:

“I wanted to retire undefeated because I was so afraid everything I’d done would mean nothing if I ever lose.” “In WWE you retire on a loss because you pass on the torch. In MMA, everybody wants out while they’re peaking because the moment they don’t, they’ll wake up and find out they never were anything.”

Rousey also leveled criticism at fans and media who, in her opinion, fail to grasp the brutal realities of the sport.

“The fans? A lot of them have never fought. They don’t know training camp, they don’t understand shelf life. Every fight changes you. You can’t keep going forever. … As soon as you reach that limit, they say you ain’t shit, you never were shit.”

It’s clear Rousey isn’t just calling out Khabib or any single athlete—she’s challenging the whole ecosystem of MMA: how fighters are built up, how they decline, and how they are ultimately remembered (or forgotten). Whether this sparks reflection or backlash in the community remains to be seen—but with Rousey’s voice, you can be sure the message hit hard.