CLEVELAND (AP) – Nadarama ni LeBron James ang pinagdadaanan sa kasalukuyan ni dating MMA undefeated champion Ronda Rousey.

Tila sinakluban ng langit at lupa si Rousey nang mauwi sa 48 segundong kabiguan ang kanyang pagbabalik sa octagon nang pasukuin ng defending women’s bantamweight champion na si Amanda Nunes. Ito ang ikalawang mabilis na kabiguan sa career ni Rousey sa loob ng 13 buwan.

“In sports, in general, they build you up as high as they can, put you on the highest mountain in the world, just to tear you down. That’s coming from somebody who has experienced it. And that’s exactly what she’s going through right now,” pahayag ng four-time NBA MVP nitong Sabado (Linggo sa Manila) sa panayam ng Akron Beacon Journal.

Sino si Jaeger Tanco na anak ng bilyonaryong nasa likod umano ng pagpapakalat ng fake news laban kay VP Sara

“That’s a fact. I know exactly how she feels because I was that athlete. I went through that,” aniya.

Ikinumpara ni James ang ‘fall from grace’ ni Rousey sa kanyang karanasan nang lisanin ang Cleveland Cavaliers – ang koponang humubog sa kanya mula sa drafting – para maglaro sa Miami Heat kung saan inalipusta ang kanyang presensiya sa unang season sa Florida.

Ngunit, nagpakatatag si James at nagbalik sa wisyo para angkinin ang tatlong NBA championship sa limang sunod na pagtungtong sa Finals.

Magagawa rin kaya ito ni Rousey?

“You don’t know her mindset. You don’t know the drive, is the drive still there? You don’t know,” sambit ni james.

“But you can tell that it’s built and built and built and built and built, they always make the teardown story more important than how long it took for her to actually get to the mountaintop.”

Iginiit din ni dating MMA star Jon Jones na hindi pa panahon para magretiro si Rousey. Hinikayat niya itong muling umakyat sa octagon at lumaban.

Taliwas ang kanyang pahayag sa suhestyon ni Nunes na dapat nang magretiro ni Rousey at kalimutan na ang MMA.

“That’s it for her,” pahayag ni Nunes sa post-game interview.

“For sure, she’s going to retire. She can’t take it anymore. If she wants the rematch, I’m going to do the same thing, because she can’t take my punches.”

Ayon kay Jones, ipinapalagay na pinakamatikas na fighter sa UFC bago nasuspinde dahil sa droga, kailangan lamang ni Rousey na magkaroon ng bagong trainor para makabalik sa pedestal.

“My advice to Ronda would be to pick yourself up and try again,” aniya.

“I think it’s important for Ronda to show her fans how great she truly is by displaying her courage and giving it another try.”

Tumanggap si Rousey n g US$3 milyon kahit natalo, hiwalay pa ang porsiyento sa pay-per-view ng laban na tinanggihan niyang ipromote.

Sa pahayag na ibinigay sa ESPN, nagbigay ng kanyang pananaw si Rousey.

“Returning to not just fighting, but winning, was my entire focus this past year,” aniya. “However, sometimes — even when you prepare and give everything you have and want something so badly — it doesn’t work how you planned. I take pride in seeing how far the women’s division has come in the UFC and commend all the other women who have been part of making this possible, including Amanda.