Rousey 'embarrassed' by performance in knockout loss to Holm

It's been almost a month since Ronda Rousey hit the floor in stunning fashion, squandering her undefeated record as Holly Holm delivered the former champion her first loss.

Rousey, incredibly saddened by the events, opened up in an exclusive interview with ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, saying a shot she took in the opening round threw her off her game plan and made it impossible for her to recover.

Rousey said:

I got hit in that first round. ... I cut my lip open and knocked a couple of my teeth loose. I was out on my feet from the very beginning.

I wasn't thinking clearly. I had that huge cut in my mouth and I just spit (the blood) out at my feet. Then they brought the bucket over and I'm like, "Why didn't I spit it in the bucket?" I never spit on the ground."

It was like a dumbed-down dreamy version of yourself making decisions. ... I was just trying to shake myself out of it. I kept saying to myself, "You're OK, keep fighting. You're OK, keep fighting."

I just feel so embarrassed. How I fought after that is such an embarrassing representation of myself. I wasn't even fucking there.

Rousey and her coach Justin Flores planned for her to attempt different takedowns on Holm, who's taller than other fighters Rousey faced, Shelburne writes. The goal was to attack Holm's lower body, which meant Rousey would have to set her feet differently than she was used to.

After the fight, Rousey told Flores she felt uncomfortable from the moment she stepped into the Octagon. She felt off balance, like her legs were never under her, and a shot to the face in the first round meant she wouldn't recover.

Rousey also opened up about her meteoric rise to fame, domestic violence allegations against her boyfriend, Travis Browne, and the challenges she faced after the loss to Holm.