Ronda Rousey may have drawn public ire when she lost to Holly Holm but one sports star got her back anyway, the soon retiring NBA superstar Kobe Bryant.
As reported by USA Today, Kobe Bryant said in an interview after Saturday's practice at NBA All-Star Weekend that he personally reached out to Ronda Rousey following her first career defeat.
"I sent her several messages, so yes, we have touched base," Kobe Bryant said, adding that while many people have criticized Rousey after her defeat, he gave her an uplifting message. Haters of Rousey point out to Rousey's pronouncement in the past, where she said she's certain about retiring undefeated.
Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, on the other hand, chose to uplift Rousey. In his message to the former UFC Champ, he said, "That's what it's about. It's not about how you win. A true champion is about how you lose and come back from that."
"I told her, 'It's a beautiful thing.' That's what I told her. I said, 'To be a true champion sometimes you have to get knocked down.' It happens to the best of us. It happened with my Achilles (when I tore it), [Muhammad] Ali got put down several times-it happens to the best of us," Kobe added.
"I think the true mark of a champion is how you get up from that," Bryant said. "If she goes through her entire career undefeated, she becomes this mythical figure that nobody can relate to. She got beat. We all get beat at some point or another in our lives. Now it's a matter of how she bounces back from that. I think that's what makes her a true champion."
Meanwhile, Rolling Stone reports that Ronda Rousey is getting back to work again as she begins her training. Last week, Rousey was spotted at Glendale Fighting Club in California, sparring with her coach, Edmond Tarverdyan. Dana White has yet to confirm if Rousey will be back in the ring this year.