Comeback?! ‘Rowdy’ UFC Return At 145 Pounds Now In Question

Ronda Rousey is back in the mixed martial arts (MMA) rumor mill.

UFC 207 in Dec. 2016 marked the last fight of Rousey’s 14-fight career, losing in under one minute via technical knockout to the future greatest of all-time, Amanda Nunes. Rousey, 36, has since retired and moved over to the professional wrestling world as a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar.

Reports recently surfaced in the professional wrestling world surrounding Rousey’s current contract status, which believes she isn’t expected to re-negotiate once concluded. Therefore, opening speculation to an MMA return that has timely begun brewing since Nunes retired last month (June 10, 2023) and vacated her Bantamweight and Featherweight crowns. Rousey dropped a DraftKings advertisement for UFC 290 ahead of the event this past weekend (July 8, 2023) and now UFC Featherweight, Chelsea Chandler, has heard some rumblings, too.

“There really is no Bantamweight champion,” Chandler said with a laugh at UFC Vegas 77 media day. “But I’ve been hearing Ronda’s coming back at ‘45. So, you never know.

“Irene Aldana, she went out and fought like s—t and she got a surgery or something,” she continued. “It’s really up there. Then you look at Norma [Dumont]. She fought Karol Rosa, who just beat Yana [Santos] and I think Yana’s No. 6. So, if I go out there and put on a decisive fight beating Norma, I think I put myself up there as a top contender, pretty easily.”

Fighting between 135 and 145 pounds in her six-fight career thus far (5-1), Chandler made a successful Octagon debut in a 140-pound Catchweight this past Oct. 2022, smashing Julija Stoliarenko with strikes in round one. Chandler seeks her second career UFC win against Dumont in a Featherweight contest at UFC Vegas 77 this weekend (Sat., July 15, 2023).

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