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booksnbeards 's review for:
My Fight / Your Fight
by Ronda Rousey
As somebody who has never been into any kind of professional fighting (well, until recently when I've gotten into UFC), the fact that I know Rousey's name and have done for several years probably says the most about how big a deal she is.
She was the first women's UFC champion, and had an incredible record until her two losses. She was a bronze olympian in judo in 2008, and is now the WWE RAW champion.
That said, it is a damn shame that she didn't wait a few years to write this book, because I think it would be a lot more thoughtful and interesting reading.
It was published (and presumably written) in 2015 - when she had defended her World Bantamweight UFC Champion title six times successfully, and was on top of the world.
I much enjoyed the first half of the book - her childhood and upbringing, her mother's almost helicopter-style obsession with following her into judo, and her struggling to meet those expectations through her judo career. A lot of this portion of the book is quite personal and introspective, especially regarding the suicide of her father.
The latter half however, dealing with her burgeoning MMA career and eventual movie stardom and champion-ness, was a lot less interesting. It is all dripping with confidence and ego which I totally understand - why not?
Every chapter begins with an inspirational quote or paragraph or two by Rousey herself, about fighting, relationships, basically anything. In the second to last chapter, her inspirational quote includes;
Which brings me back to saying that it's a shame she didn't wait a few years to write the book - or hell, a few months. Because as you may or may not know, in November 2015 she lost her championship defence to Holly Holm and effectively ended her UFC career.
As such, all her bravado and strutting through the second half of the book - especially when compared to the almost fragile and unsure portrayal of herself in the first half - falls flat. She did get beaten. She did retire.
Rousey is a legitimately inspiring figure and has done a ton for the advancement of women in sport, and regardless of her eventual loss - she was still champion. Her writing (as much as it is hers and not her co-writer's, though as it turns out the co-writer was her sister) is engaging and entertaining for the most part, and most importantly she is a dedicated nerd who loves Pokemon and science fiction - what's not to like?
I only hope that she releases a Part 2 (maybe No Fight / No More?) and analyse how she felt coming down from her championship high, and whether it humbled her any.
Probably not though, and as it stands, My Fight / Your Fight - specifically the second half - is an entertaining, but ultimately hollow, experience.
She was the first women's UFC champion, and had an incredible record until her two losses. She was a bronze olympian in judo in 2008, and is now the WWE RAW champion.
That said, it is a damn shame that she didn't wait a few years to write this book, because I think it would be a lot more thoughtful and interesting reading.
It was published (and presumably written) in 2015 - when she had defended her World Bantamweight UFC Champion title six times successfully, and was on top of the world.
I much enjoyed the first half of the book - her childhood and upbringing, her mother's almost helicopter-style obsession with following her into judo, and her struggling to meet those expectations through her judo career. A lot of this portion of the book is quite personal and introspective, especially regarding the suicide of her father.
The latter half however, dealing with her burgeoning MMA career and eventual movie stardom and champion-ness, was a lot less interesting. It is all dripping with confidence and ego which I totally understand - why not?
Every chapter begins with an inspirational quote or paragraph or two by Rousey herself, about fighting, relationships, basically anything. In the second to last chapter, her inspirational quote includes;
I have dominated for so long, and I know no one will ever beat me in the cage
Which brings me back to saying that it's a shame she didn't wait a few years to write the book - or hell, a few months. Because as you may or may not know, in November 2015 she lost her championship defence to Holly Holm and effectively ended her UFC career.
As such, all her bravado and strutting through the second half of the book - especially when compared to the almost fragile and unsure portrayal of herself in the first half - falls flat. She did get beaten. She did retire.
Rousey is a legitimately inspiring figure and has done a ton for the advancement of women in sport, and regardless of her eventual loss - she was still champion. Her writing (as much as it is hers and not her co-writer's, though as it turns out the co-writer was her sister) is engaging and entertaining for the most part, and most importantly she is a dedicated nerd who loves Pokemon and science fiction - what's not to like?
I only hope that she releases a Part 2 (maybe No Fight / No More?) and analyse how she felt coming down from her championship high, and whether it humbled her any.
Probably not though, and as it stands, My Fight / Your Fight - specifically the second half - is an entertaining, but ultimately hollow, experience.