So much for all that talk about Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano. At least for now.
In a Friday night tweet which came out of the blue, UFC president Dana White announced that Rousey will defend her women’s bantamweight title against Alexis Davis at UFC 175 on July 5 in Las Vegas.
The bout will be the third title defense in just over six months for Rousey (9-0). She defeated Miesha Tate via third-round armbar at UFC 168 on Dec. 28 and Sara McMann via first-round TKO in the main event of UFC 170. Since then, she’s been filming her role in the upcoming “Entourage” movie.
While all the conjecture about future opponents for Rousey have included talk about Carano, the first big women’s MMA star, former Strikeforce champ Cris Cyborg, and even Holly Holm, Davis has actually gone about building her case the old-fashioned way. The Port Colborne, Ont. native is 16-5 and has won five consecutive bouts, including a split decision over Jessica Eye at UFC 170.
Rousey and Davis are the only women with 3-0 UFC records.
With this announcement, UFC 175 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas is now shaping up as a blockbuster card. Also announced are Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida for the middleweight title and Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva. The following evening, the same arena will host The TUF 19 Finale, featuring B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar.