So Conor was mad one day and announced his retirement. Ronda did the same thing, but it was out of depression. Boxers used to do this all the time, then they would go back and fight again. This seems to be the trend for UFC fighters as well. UFC President Dana White confirmed no final decision has been made about Ronda Rousey’s long-awaited return to the Octagon. Her last fight was a loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November. There have been talks about her coming back, but they hadn’t made a decision yet. There’s a chance she fights to get her belt back this year, but nothing is set in terms of that yet. If she does make a comeback this year then she will get a title shot if she wins.
Her camp promises the best Ronda Rousey that anyone has ever seen.
On Tuesday, Damon Martin of Fox Sports passed along comments Dana White made during an appearance on the UFC Unfiltered podcast. He wouldn’t provide details about her potential comeback fight but noted it wouldn’t happen on the UFC 205 card at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 12, as previously speculated, citing sources, Martin reported there have been discussions about a Rousey return before the end of 2016. He noted they were preliminary talks, however, and nothing has been finalized. It’s still possible she won’t return until next year. Rousey is a superstar and emerged as a dominant force and top UFC draw before she suffered the first loss of her professional career against Holm. With her return we certainly see a fight between Cyborg and her in the future.
This is the fight everyone, including myself, that everyone has been waiting for.
The stars haven’t aligned to date, but now that Cyborg is in the UFC and Ronda is coming back, it looks like a possibility.
While some may have believed the expected hiatus would lessen the pain of defeat, Rousey erased any thought of that earlier this year. Nina Mandell of USA Today noted the former Olympic bronze medalist provided a candid glimpse at her mindset following Holm’s upset while on The Ellen Show in February: “In the medical room, I was down in the corner, I was sitting in the corner and I was like ‘what am I anymore if I’m not this?’ And I was literally sitting there and thinking about killing myself in that exact second, I’m nothing. Like what do I do anymore? And no one gives an crap (altered from a bad word) about me anymore without this.” Crazy how that much pressure can consume your life and make you feel like it is all you have in life.
Now the question is what type of drawing power Rousey will have after her loss and more than a year away from the sport. It’s hard to know whether her comeback attempt will immediately draw mainstream attention or if she’ll need to establish herself all over again. Like mentioned though, a fight with Cyborg would certainly top the PPV charts if they collide in the middle of their primes. She’s been sorely missed by the UFC, which sold last month for $4 billion and is going to need marquee attractions like Rousey to shine in order to prove worth the investment. Again, only time will tell. If it is meant to be, then the UFC will certainly make it happen.