Fight or Write? Ronda Rousey Pens Her Future

Rousey is making her graphic novel debut With Expecting The Unexpected–and she is asked almost daily about a return to the UFC

A similar scene occurs when Ronda Rousey visits her nearby farmer’s market.

And it has nothing to do with the produce.

Formerly the face of the UFC, people ask Rousey if she ever plans on fighting again.

“I appreciate when people ask,” said Rousey, who last fought in December of 2016. “Maybe it means they still miss me.”

Considering the subject, a follow-up question felt rather appropriate. Especially after all the intrigue surrounding a return bout at UFC 300 this past April, will Rousey ever fight again in the Octagon?

“If I could, I definitely would,” said Rousey. “If I want to have a whole basketball team full of kids, I can’t take any more detours. I’ve always wanted to be a mom with a lot of kids.”

Ronda Rousey is embracing motherhood / No DNB Productions

Perhaps, one day, Rousey will get asked a different question. In addition to motherhood, she has a new passion: writing.

Rousey is making her graphic novel debut with Expecting The Unexpected. She also recently sold her first screenplay to Netflix.

So maybe, over time, she won’t be asked if she’s going to fight again–but instead, when she’ll write again.

“I’ve put every fiber of my being into this,” said Rousey. “It’s a real labor of love.”

Ronda Rousey was a force in the UFC, including a dominant victory against Bethe Correia at UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August of 2015 / Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports

Rousey’s foray into graphic novels happened organically. Five years ago, during the build to WrestleMania 35, when she headlined the show in a triple threat match against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, the writing process started in the rare moments when Rousey was free.

“I wrote this note on my phone–‘Two wanted assassins end up with an unwanted pregnancy. Giving life is harder than taking it’”, said Rousey. “Then I didn’t think about it for a while.

Ronda Rousey headlined WrestleMania 35 with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair / WWE

“I went into WrestleMania. I shattered my pinkie knuckle. I went straight to surgery, then straight from surgery to fly to Stephen Colbert to promote Mortal Kombat 11. After I finally got home, I was laying in bed and I was so tired–but I couldn’t sleep. I had the idea to write. That’s when I wrote, typing on the phone with my thumbs, for hours and hours.”

Ronda Rousey on the podium after winning the bronze medal in the women's 70 kg judo bout at the University of Science and Technology Gymnasium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

New to the world of fiction, Rousey understood that her writing needed some work (“It was dogsh--,” she added). Facing an obstacle, the former Olympian relied on the same grit and drive that carried her to unprecedented heights in judo and mixed martial arts. She became devoted to her work, hungry to learn as much as humanly possible.

“I wanted to learn to write a screenplay,” Rousey. “That’s how my obsession began with screenwriting. I read every book about it I could, and then I got an internship at WME in the story department. Every time I learned something, I’d change the script.

“Even though I sold a different screenplay to Nextflix, it was this first story that started it all. I loved it so much I couldn’t let it collect dust, and I thought comic publishers might be interested. Axel Alonso, who was former editor-and-chief at Marvel, had started his own publisher, and he wanted to make it into a comic book.”

Expecting The Unexpected launches on July 25 through a special Kickstarter campaign. Alongside comics publisher AWA, Rousey teamed with Mike Deodato, Jr., a highly decorated comic book artist with his own martial arts background, to create captivating fight scenes. The story follows a deadly hitwoman with a bounty on her head fighting off assassins, all while learning she’s newly pregnant.

“This story, for the longest time, I was the only one to believe in it,” said Rousey. “Now it’s starting to gain all these believers. It’s been so rewarding. I get so much satisfaction out of the whole process. I’m at the point where I’m thinking maybe this is what I was always meant to do.

“And the story is very different from what I originally thought it would be. It ended up being a martial arts romantic comedy. It delves into what’s so often glossed over. In Kill Bill, she finds out she’s pregnant, then it skips to after she has the baby. I was always like, ‘What happened in the middle?’ Unintentionally, this explored the dilemma of bringing a child into a hostile world. That’s what I really wanted to flesh out, but with a lot of cool fight scenes, humor, and romance.”

Expecting The Unexpected / Artists, Writers, and Artisans, Inc.

Expecting The Unexpected / Artists, Writers, and Artisans, Inc.

Expecting The Unexpected / Artists, Writers, and Artisans, Inc.

Writing is a forum for Rousey with endless possibilities. It can also keep her connected to fans from her record-setting run in combat sports, as well as wrestling fans who miss Rousey.

Rousey took immense pride in the detailed, precise nature of the fight scenes, and she hopes to add a captivating spirit to the comic scene. It isn’t her first time establishing herself in a new field, and she welcomes the challenge.

“I’m unproven in the space, and comics are so precious, so I understand the skepticism,” said Rousey. “But it exceeds expectations, especially in the fight choreography. We want to take comics to a whole new space.”