- Ronda Rousey reportedly terminated her contract with WWE after losing to Shayna Baszler at SummerSlam 2023.
- Rumors are swirling that Rousey is planning a return at UFC’s tricentennial event in 2024, UFC 300.
- UFC’s president, Dana White, does not have confidence in Rousey stepping back into the Octagon.
According to a report from Sadie Whitelocks of the DailyMail.com, Ronda Rousey, 36, is contemplating a return to the UFC in 2024. If Rousey does in fact return to the UFC, 34-year-old Julianna Peña is favored as her next opponent. Currently, at BetUS, Peña has +125 odds to face Rousey.
Following the DailyMail.com article, the MMA world was set ablaze with the possibility that Rousey is preparing for a UFC comeback. The report from Whitelocks follows an apparent insider who has talked to Rousey regarding the next move in her career.
“She just had a match at Summer Slam and is looking to wind down her time and commitments with the WWE, and she is now focusing on potentially making a run to have one last fight in the UFC and compete at UFC when that presents itself something next year,” her confidant allegedly said to the DailyMail.com.
It is important to note that none of this has been corroborated by Rousey herself or a source within the UFC. Moreover, the report leaves some room for error, as Rousey is reportedly debating what she wants to do professionally after her time with the WWE.
Appearances in TV shows and entertainment are purportedly important to Rousey. Whether that includes fighting for Dana White at UFC 300 remains to be seen. The last time that we saw Rousey enter the Octagon was in 2016 against Amanda Nunes.
Rousey’s First UFC Run Concluded With Back-to-Back Losses
On December 30, 2016, Rousey lost in seconds against Nunes. Rousey was rocked and KO’d 48 seconds into the bout. That loss came a year after Rousey was left feeling demoralized against Holly Holm.
Never forget how Amanda Nunes absolutely DOMINATED Ronda Rousey https://t.co/mArX5tGd6d
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) June 11, 2023
Holm connected with a vicious kick to the head to KO the undefeated Rousey. Entering the fight, “Rowdy” had a perfect record in UFC at 12-0. And, according to oddsmakers, she was forecasted to easily beat Holm and continue the winning streak.
USA Today notes that Holm was as much as a +2000 underdog before the fight. Despite the long odds, Rousey was knocked out, and one fight later, Rousey was chased out of the UFC. While it wasn’t what Rousey envisioned, she is viewed as a pioneer for women in MMA.
In 2012, it was reported that Rousey became the first woman to sign a contract with the UFC. A year earlier in January 2011, White told TMZ that he would never allow a woman to compete in the UFC.
The rest is history. The women’s UFC division has been thriving ever since Rousey started to gain attention in the Octagon. However, will Rousey seek retribution and a chance to finish on top after losing to Holm and Nunes?
Rousey’s favored opponent, Peña, is coming off a loss against Nunes in a rematch at UFC 277 in July 2022. In 2021, at UFC 269, Peña defeated Nunes to advance to 11-5 in the UFC and win the women’s bantamweight title.
Rousey Reportedly Done With WWE
In a post on her official Instagram account, Rousey hinted that she was leaving WWE following a loss to Shayna Baszler at SummerSlam. While the Instagram post does not confirm that Rousey terminated her contract, there are reports that she has no interest in continuing with the WWE.
Even prior to her match against Baszler at SummerSlam, there were signs that Rousey was inching closer to exiting the company. According to Dave Meltzer, in July, Rousey had a “hard out” date in her contract that allowed her to bow out, per Wrestling Observer Radio.
Similar to Rousey’s comments on Instagram, Meltzer indicated that Rousey wanted to have a feud and fight Baszler:
“They want to do a feud. The whole tag team was to set up a Ronda and Shayna doing a feud. Ronda wanted to do this feud with Shayna, she got what she wanted. She’s always wanted to do it because Shayna is the one who got her basically into pro wrestling,”.
It would appear that there is substantial evidence that Rousey is out at WWE. Her career as a professional wrestler has been infused with mixed results from fans.
White Not Confident In Rousey Returning To The UFC
The top boss at UFC is adamant that Rousey is not returning to the UFC. If White is bluffing, then he is doing a fine job.
“Ronda’s having kids,” White said at a Contender Series press conference. “Ronda built this whole thing that’s going on with the women here, then her dream was to go to WWE. She went there and did everything that she did there and achieved. She’s made a s***load of money. She’s moved on with her life.”
Regardless, this isn’t going to stop people from discussing the rumors or prevent online betting sites from releasing lines on a potential fight. We will keep you posted with any additional news or betting odds for an official Rousey fight in the future.
