When is Ronda Rousey going to step back into the cage? One of the most frustrating parts of being a mixed martial arts fan is waiting the months and months between your favorite fighter’s matches. In Ronda Rousey’s case, her return sounds like it’s going to be later rather than sooner.
UFC president Dana White was originally hellbent on seeing Rousey vs. Holm rematch at UFC 200 in July, but as time went on, that seemed like less and less of a realistic option. After Ronda booked the first half of her 2016 solid with acting gigs, the UFC finally gave up on the immediate rematch and instead booked Holly Holm for UFC 196 in March.
“So, Holly Holm will fight Miesha Tate March 5 on the co-main event of Conor McGregor vs. [Rafael] dos Anjos,” Dana White said in an interview with BigBoyTV. “We haven’t even announced the rest of the card! Wait til you hear the rest! It’s gonna be crazy. It’s gonna be a sick card. So, the winner of that fight will fight Ronda … probably in November.”
“She’s very intense. She’s a badass, man. She’ll be back.”
November is a long ways away, not just for fans to wait, but for the winner of Holm vs. Tate, as well. That’s a seven-month turnaround, where most fighters will tell you they’d like to get a fight in every four months. But when it comes to big money fights, the UFC is notoriously protective and willing to let fighters and belts sit on the shelf until the stars align.
We just watched heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum sit around for eight months waiting to rematch Cain Velasquez on February 6. And then the infamously injury-prone Velasquez pulled out again, followed by Werdum. It sounds like the UFC is trying to save things by rescheduling the fight sooner rather than later, but it’s just another reminder that the best laid plans of the UFC can often get derailed.
Will Ronda Rousey really return in November? There’s a lot that can go down between now and then to screw that schedule up. Whoever wins the Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate fight in March could blow a knee out, requiring a year-long recovery. Heck, Ronda could line up several more high paying movie gigs and just decide getting kicked in the head just isn’t worthwhile anymore.
But with a more realistic turnaround timetable for both Ronda and whoever ends up holding the women’s bantamweight title after UFC 196, it’s a safe bet this schedule should work out.
