Rumors continue to swirl about a possible return of female MMA pioneer “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey after Amanda Nunes’ retirement from the sport last month.
After competing in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions for nearly a decade, Nunes walked away from the sport after a decisive unanimous decision win over Erin Aldana at UFC 289. Since her announcement, bantamweight contenders have come out of the woodwork, looking for a title opportunity now that they’re out. The division became wide open.
The most likely scenario would see the two top ranked contenders, Giuliana Pena and Raquel Pennington, vie for the vacant 135-pound crown, but recent rumors suggest that fans could witness the return of the show’s first world champion, Ronda Rousey. Rowdy’ is without a doubt the most influential woman in the history of the sport, paving the way for women to compete within octagon Despite Dana White’s claims that women would never compete on his world stage.
Speaking about the possibility of Ronda Rousey’s return, UFC play-by-play man Jon Anik has suggested that the women who remain active in the division are likely more deserving of the opportunity, but he can’t deny the excitement and intrigue that will come with Rousey’s return to the octagon after seven years. To stay away from sports.
Annick said while walking the red carpet in UFC Hall of Fame to celebrate. In the past, I’ve said out loud that I wouldn’t like Henry Cejudo to come back and cut the whole line of all those bantamweight contenders who were in the gauntlet, who’ve been in the USADA rally for three years, right?
“I love meritocracy, and there are definitely worthy contenders – Raquel Pennington and Juliana Peña among them. So, as a fan of mixed martial arts, I feel a little uncomfortable when someone comes back after not competing and cuts the streak. But if anyone deserves to cut the streak , it might be Rhonda(h/t Yahoo! News).
UFC 290 Ad has fans in a frenzy over the potential return of Ronda Rousey
Going 12-2 in her bright but short career, Ronda Rousey captured the Strikeforce and UFC World Heavyweight Championships while racking up an impressive 100% finish rate and nine sub-min. After becoming the biggest name in MMA, Rousey hit a brick wall in 2015 named Holly Holm. ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ scored one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, knocking out ‘Rowdy’ 59 seconds into the second round of the bantamweight title tilt. Devastated by the defeat, Rousey took a sabbatical the following year, but returned in December 2016 for what she hoped would be a return to form.
Unfortunately, the woman she was matched with was none other than Amanda Nunes. ‘The Lioness’ stunned Rousey, earning a 48-second KO which sent Ronda Rousey into retirement. Since then, “Rowdy” has been busy honing her craft in WWE as one of sports entertainment’s main draws. In 2019, Rousey made history once again by becoming the first woman to main event WWE’s annual extravaganza, WrestleMania, along with fellow WWE Superstars Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.
Recent reports indicate that Ronda Rousey may be on her way out of WWE, leading many fans to speculate about a possible return to the Octagon with Amanda Nunes no longer a threat. Some fuel was added to this fire when Rousey was spotted as part of the DraftKings show for UFC 290.
With UFC 300 less than a year away, the stars could align themselves for what could be one of the biggest payouts in MMA history.