The Ultimate Comeback
Does Ronda Rousey look like she needs the UFC? Nope. How much truth is there in the rumors that ‘Rowdy’ is about to get it on? We asked, and they told, and now we’re telling you.
For those that don’t know, and there can’t be many, our gal Ronda, nicknamed Rowdy (for a good reason), is making waves. Rousey was born in 1987, when Robert A. Litchfield was arrested for bank robbery in Lake Tahoe, and Ronnie Reagan made his historic Berlin Wall speech. Rousey came into the world with her umbilical cord around her neck.
Her difficult arrival left Rousey with damaged vocal cords, so what was a girl with a funny voice to do but become an MMA champion? Rowdy burst onto the women’s MMA scene in 2010 and has continued fighting (not all of them physical) throughout her career, never losing a competitive fight or a persuasive argument.
Rowdy took on Dana White outside the ring when the UFC president said, ‘Women should never be allowed to fight.’ It took till 2013, but Rousey took on Liz Carmouche (Girl-Rilla) and won, becoming the first UFC female Bantamweight Champion.
If that wasn’t enough, Rousey appeared in several films, including The Expendables 3, Fast & Furious 7, The Athena Project, and Entourage. With all those strings to her bow and all that publicity, why would Rousey be in a hurry to return to the UFC?
Ronda Rousey’s View on Life
To quote Rowdy, ‘It is not about winning the round. It is not about winning the fight. It is about winning every single second of your life.’ That sounds exhausting, but they don’t call her Rowdy for nothing – so what now?
Things changed for Rousey in 2016 when she lost to Holly Holm during UFC 193 by KO in the second round at the Marvel Stadium (Docklands Stadium) in Australia, and then Amanda Nunes (The Lioness) the same year. It was a shock and a turning point in Rousey’s career.
Would Ronda Rousey Survive a Comeback?
Would Rousey survive a comeback, and why would she want to fight again? These are the questions on everyone’s lips coming into UFC 300.
The once-held bantamweight belt is up for grabs after ‘The Lioness’ retired. Rousey held the belt for 1,074 days (nearly three years), defending the title six times. Ronda Rousey hasn’t fought competitively in UFC for ten years, and at 36, are her best fighting days behind her? Probably!
Despite many years out of the UFC, those close to her (Brendan Schaub) think she stands a chance, but what does he know? Schaub and Rousey only dated briefly, but he is very vocal on Rousey’s comeback.
It’s worth noting that only two of Rousey’s previous opponents are currently competing in the UFC. Miesha Tate, now 37 years old, has had a tough time lately, losing four out of her last five fights. Meanwhile, Holly Holm, 41 years old, has also struggled recently, with two losses in her previous three contests.
Schaub may be shouting, ‘Come back tour,’ but Rousey is no Rolling Stone, so we’re unsure.
Money Talk and BullS**T Walks
Talking about Rousey on his podcast, The Fighter and the Kid, Schaub says Rousey was offered an obscene amount of money to compete and said NO! But when money talks and cash is king, is it really a NO, or are we in negotiations?
Sadly, fighters often don’t know when to retire; so many stories, both fact and fiction (The Wrestler, anyone?), tell a familiar tale; look at Wanderlei Silva or Antonio Nogueira and in female UFC, Marion Reneau. MMA isn’t the only sport where fighters don’t know when to stop.
Arguably, Muhammad Ali’s last fight against Trevor Berbick in 1981 should not have gone ahead, and then there are several more for one reason and another should not have happened. Look at Michael Spinks Vs. Dwight Qawi (1983) or Nigel Benn Vs. Gerald McClelland. Mike Tyson was another one who should have said no but didn’t.
We could go on and on, and each fighter has their reasons (usually about dollars). By retiring at the right time, fighters leave a legacy that adds to the mystique of their sport. When an athlete stays too long and is defeated and humiliated, no one remembers their wins, just how they bowed out.
Rousey is clever and an astute businesswoman, so the chances are it is all rubbish, complete BS, and there’s a Netflix biography on the way. 36 is still young but not in competitive sport, especially one as physical as UFC.
Who is Ronda Rousey Watching?
Rousey will be watching the competition with the likes of Julianna Peña, Raquel Pennington, and Brazilian Mayra Bueno Silva in contention. 27-year-old Joselyn Edwards Loboriel and Tamires Vidal, another Brazilian aged 25, look formidable. The outside money is going on Zaira Dyshekova from Russia, who, in this climate, probably won’t fight.
The fact is that 80% of the top 50 female bantamweight MMA fighters are in their 30s, so Rousey is not too old; she’s mature, well versed, and in her element.
But that adage ‘Just because you can doesn’t mean you should’ has never been so true.
Is WrestleMania the Answer?
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling live streaming and pay-per-view (PPV) event held between mid-March and mid-April. It’s a lucrative deal that involves a lot of acting. Rousey appeared during WrestleMania 31 in 2015 with ‘The Rock,’ Triple H (Hunter Hearst Helmsley) and Stephanie McMahon.
She made her big break in 2018 at WrestleMania 34, continuing until the 2022 Royal Rumble. Royal Rumble 22 was another first for Rousey, teaming up with Shayna Baszler to be the first WrestleMania main event only to feature women. With two SmackDown Women’s Champions belts and one as Raw Women’s Champion, there’s little doubt WM suits Rousey.
What Now For Ronda ‘Rowdy’ Rousey?
The fact is your guess is as good as ours, but we don’t think Rousey will make the UFC300 comeback; she is more likely to continue acting and almost certainly wrestling. After all, what do great sports people do when enough is enough? Well, they don’t retire gracefully, that’s for sure.
