UFC sensation Ronda Rousey is only planning to fight for a couple more years, though she states there’s no exact timetable for her exit from the sport. The women’s bantamweight champion admits a lot could depend on a bout with Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino, which would make her career feel complete.
Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie notes Rousey made the comments Monday about her future and the possibility of facing Justino during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience (Warning: Link contains NSFW language), a podcast hosted by the UFC color commentator.
Rousey, who’s also started to become more involved in Hollywood with film roles in The Expendables 3 and Furious 7, among others, stated she has no interest in continuing to compete into her 30s.
But there’s still more she wants to accomplish, per the interview: “It just seems unfinished—my career, there’s more left to do—I don’t feel like I’m done yet. With the Olympics it just like, you win an Olympic gold medal and you’re done. With the UFC, when am I really done? I’m not. It feels unfinished still. (The ‘Cyborg’ fight) definitely would (help).”
Whether that matchup will ever come to fruition is still a mystery. It’s starting to get the same type of feel as the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao fight, though this one would have a better chance to live up to the hype. Similar to a long period preceding boxing’s most recent megafight, there’s a lot of verbal warfare but minimal action toward a deal.
Rousey told Rogan she would still want the fight at 135 pounds and, more importantly, remains unconvinced Justino is clean after a failed test for anabolic steroid stanozolol in 2011: “The thing is, someone who uses steroids and those kind of things, they need that to mentally think they have an advantage they didn’t earn. It’s a crutch for her. She needs to feel like she somehow has an advantage from the outside.”
So what is the undefeated champion waiting to see?
A change in appearance, which she believes hasn’t happened with Cyborg since the failed test, per the interview: “‘Cyborg’ looks in ways exactly the same. If she gets off it will be very easy for her to make weight (because of) what we’ve seen from every other person that’s got off it. I think that—I can’t say with proof or anything, but if you look the exact same as you did when you were using, then what changed?”
Rousey will return to the Octagon at UFC 193 on Nov. 14 to defend her title against Holly Holm. Her last three fights have lasted a combined 64 seconds, and anything less than another dominant performance would qualify as a surprise.
A fight with Justino would at least bring more uncertainty into the equation. Whether the sides can settle their differences to set up a clash that’s coveted by fight fans remains up in the air, though.
If it doesn’t come together, Rousey’s career will always have that one remaining question mark, and her comments make it clear she understands that.
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