Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey left mixed martial arts in 2016 after losing to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. While “Rowdy” has no intentions of returning to the UFC, there is one fight that would lure her back to the octagon.
During a recent appearance on The Kurt Angle Show, Rousey was asked what opponent would bring her back to MMA. Rousey quickly answered.
“There’s only one person I would come back for,” Rousey said. “I’ve said it a million times, it’s not like it’s something new but for Gina, Gina Carano. She’s the reason why I got into fighting, she’s the reason why I knew it was a possibility. I will always be forever grateful.”
“If she ever was like, ‘Ronda, I want to fight you tomorrow, 205 pounds,’ like, whatever the hell she wants — I’m not saying she’s 205 pounds, I’m sure she’s very svelte — if she wanted to come into my backyard and do the Rocky thing or, you know, ‘ding ding’ and we just do it in the backyard, I don’t care,” Rousey said. “I will fight Gina wherever she wants. Even if she doesn’t want to forever, leave that offer there.
“It’s a respect thing, not like a, ‘f*** you. I’m coming to get you.’ It’s just like, ‘Hey, if you ever wanna pull that card out, it’s there.’ I love her. Thank you Gina for everything you’ve done.”
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Before Rousey, Carano was the face of women’s MMA. She last fought in August of 2009, losing to Cris Cyborg for the inaugural Strikeforce women’s featherweight championship. The match was the first time women headlined a fight card for a major MMA promotion.