Every once in a while, the world is graced with an athlete unlike any other, someone we’ve never seen before and who will never come again. An athlete whose has a type of greatness that is simply undeniable and inarguable.

The public’s opinion of them is irreverent. Love them, hate them, fear them, revere them, it simply doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter because the numbers don’t lie.

The feats these athletes have accomplished have firmly reserved their place in history.

Ronda Rousey is one of those athletes.

Ronda Rousey is indisputably great.

Ronda Rousey has a place reserved for her in history.

We’re not used to seeing female competitors like Rousey consistently in the headlines, and while it’s unfortunate that the mass media coverage stemmed from athletic tragedy, it’s refreshing, nonetheless, to hear her name as often as her male-equivalents.

Rousey is ambitious and tells it like it is, but most importantly, she breaks almost every stereotype surrounding female athletes. She is someone who is to be admired and respected.

But my veneration has morphed into concern.

Ronda Rousey took the loss to Holly Holm harder than any athlete I’ve ever known.

Rousey entered the UFC 193 Free Fight without a loss in her professional career at 12-0. It was her third title fight in nine months, something that, to my knowledge, had never been attempted before.

But she lost.

Despite the odds being in her favor, despite the whole world standing behind her and rooting for her victory, she lost.

A fighter who consistently took down her opponents in under 45 seconds did not walk away the champion.

And Holly Holm’s tremendous victory was cast in the shadows due to the devastation that surfaced from Rousey.

The fight between Rousey and Holm was physically demanding on both fighters, and soon after Rousey announced via Instagram that she would return, but first would be taking some time off.

Thank goodness.

All athletes need a break. Professional sports are both physically and mentally draining, and it was obvious after the loss to Holm that Rousey was in desperate need of time to heal.

While her busted lip and bruises may have mended since that dark day in November, Rousey still has a long way to go.

In her latest interview on "Ellen," Rousey admitted for the first time publicly that after the loss to Holm, she thought about killing herself.

Suicide is a serious apprehension to begin with, but what warrants grave concern is the reason behind these thoughts: because she lost.

Which begs the question, what did she lose?

The record shows Rousey got defeated in a second round knock-out by Holly Holm.

But what exactly did she lose?

Rousey didn’t lose anything financially, as she makes $3-5 million annually from endorsements alone.

She didn’t lose a family member or loved one from death.

She didn’t lose her health, despite injuries.

And she certainly didn’t lose any freedoms or rights.

She lost a fight.

She went from 12-0 to 12-1.

I won’t pretend to know what it’s like to be a professional athlete and make a career out of athletic ability.

I won’t lie and say winning isn’t important because it is.

But the fact that Rousey’s first thoughts after losing to Holm were “I’m nothing” and “What am I anymore if I’m not this?” demand to be talked about.

I’ll admit part of me wants to be like Ronda Rousey. She’s brave and confident, honest and ambitious. She’ll fight anyone without hesitation but is vulnerable enough to admit she thought about killing herself on national TV. Ronda knows exactly who she is and she will never apologize for it.

But for as many qualities Rousey has that I envy, I’m relieved that I won’t ever consider taking my life over one bad fight.

Rousey is not alone in her stance. Like many athletes, Rousey has based her entire self-worth on her career in the octagon and the validation she finds in herself stems from winning alone.

It’s a dangerous mental game she’s playing, and it’s going to be the demise of her.

When athletes retire, they tend to slip away from the public’s eye and their struggles with retirement are unknown and go unnoticed. While a select few find themselves as ESPN commentators or something similar, far too many end up with deep depression or abusing drugs. Without their given sport, the thing they’ve given their whole lives to, they don’t know what to do or who they are.

And the results are self-destructive and heartbreaking.

That shouldn’t be the ending to Ronda Rousey’s story.

I hope Rousey makes a heroic return to the octagon.

I hope she retains her elite status and remains dominate.

I hope little girls look at her and think, “If she can do it, so can I.”

But I also hope she learns to lose.

I hope she realizes there is more to life than sports.

I hope she understands that she is more than just an athlete

and her worth does not come solely from her record in the octagon.

I hope she sees that win or lose, we’ll always stand with her.