Ronda Rousey’s Return to the UFC Delayed!

By JM “Shade” Daguio

Former women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey’s anticipated return will have to wait a little longer. In an interview with ESPN, UFC President Dana White was asked of the possible timetable of Rousey’s eventual return:

“Ronda Rousey, I don’t know. I’m hoping we’re going to get Ronda back this year. She actually just had surgery yesterday on her knee. Nothing serious, just get in there, scope it and clean it out a little bit. She feels great. Her spirits are great. She’s been training.”
Rousey’s return is especially anticipated since her first career loss via KO to Holly Holm in November of 2015. The bantamweight title has already switched hands to Rousey’s heated rival Miesha Tate. It is not yet clear whether or not Rousey would take a tune-up fight, a rematch versus Holm or wait for the title shot.

During the Rousey’s hiatus from MMA, she traded her MMA gloves for the bright lights of Hollywood. Rousey is set to star the MGM remake of “Roadhouse” which rumored to have started filming May of this year. Rousey had numerous interviews in which she revealed her thoughts on suicide and relationship with fellow UFC fighter Travis Browne.

Rousey was also one of the few UFC stars to be present during the signing of the MMA legalization bill in New York. UFC Dana White was almost positive that Rousey would fight on the New York card but with no opponents mentioned as of late.
With the latest news of her surgery, her timetable of return is up in the air. Though the good news is that the procedure she will be undertaking would be a minor one where she would not need to rehab her knee, the UFC is open to Rousey featuring other future cards aside from the inaugural New York card.

“If she fights, I’m hoping she fights in December. If not, then she would probably fight at the New Year’s show at the beginning of the year,” White said

The women’s bantamweight division is shaping up, contenders popping left and right, it would be a disappointment if Rousey cannot or chooses not to be part of the mix of a resurgent division, as a former champion she still has the skills and drive to get her title back (she already defeated current champion Miesha Tate twice) but we may all have to wait and see what the future holds for the woman they call “Rowdy”.

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