It’s been nearly a year since Ronda Rousey last competed inside the Octagon, suffering a second-round knockout to Holly Holm and subsequently losing her title at UFC 193 on Nov. 15, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia (see it again here).
But Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White suggests that “Rowdy” may be nearing a return to action later this year, which would see her attempt to reclaim her title against current division champion Amanda Nunes.
According to Miesha Tate’s comments on a recent edition of “The MMA Hour” (via MMA Fighting), if Ronda decides to come back to mixed martial arts (MMA) with a “half-assed” mentality, then it’s going to be a huge problem in the return bout against the champ.
“I feel like there’s so many weird variables, it’s really, really hard to say, because who knows what we’re going to get out of Ronda when she comes back. If we’re getting Ronda at the best that she’s ever been, then I’d say Ronda (would win the fight). But if we’re getting Ronda coming back with a half-assed mentality, kind of like ‘I just feel like I have to do this one time,’ and then she’s got a lot of ring rust and maybe she’s still punch-shy since she hasn’t fought since Holly, and we all saw that obviously Amanda has incredible power with her right hand — so if she hits Ronda with one of those, I could see it being a huge problem for Ronda. A big, big problem. So it’s kind of hard to say, honestly. I really just don’t know what we’re going to get with Ronda. I know what we’re going to get with Amanda. I just have no idea what we’re going to get with Ronda.”
White, though, doesn’t think that will be an issue, as he has sees nothing but a “nasty” and motivated Rousey.
Tate, meanwhile, has spent time with both Ronda and Amanda inside the cage, failing to capture the title agaisnt “Rowdy,” while losing the belt to “Lioness” at UFC 200. So, perhaps there’s no one more qualified to dish on a potential fight between the two.
That said, Ronda has never been known to “half-ass” anything, going full speed ahead whether it be in MMA, or any other endeavor outside of fighting. So you can bet all eyes — Tate’s included — will be glued to the tube once “Rowdy” does return fighting.