The former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has officially returned to WWE.
For a while now, rumours have been swirling about ‘Rowdy’ returning to professional wrestling but on Saturday night it was official as she made her first WWE appearance since 2019.
Rousey was one of the final entrants into the Royal Rumble, where you can only be eliminated by be threw out of the ring. The WMMA pioneer ultimately emerged victorious from the over-the-top-rope battle royal by eliminating Charlotte Flair.
The 34-year-old will now headline WrestleMania 38, which is set to take place on April 3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This confirms Rousey will be sticking around for a while and that appearance isn’t just a one-off as we often see with WWE legends at epic events.
#RoyalRumble #WrestleMania @RondaRousey pic.twitter.com/HZ93RoKbrM
— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) January 30, 2022
Ronda Rousey’s Journey From MMA To WWE
Rousey is one of the greatest female MMA fighter of all time and certainly one of the most influential people in the sports short history. Her MMA career came crashing to a halt following back-to-back losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.
Prior to that, Rousey was a dominant force in MMA picking up several high-profile wins in exemplary fashion. ‘Rowdy’ beat the likes of Miesha Tate (x2), Cat Zingano, Sara McMann, Julia Budd, Bethe Correia, and Liz Carmouche before retiring from the sport and transitioning to WWE.
Rousey first appeared in WWE at the Royal Rumble back in 2018 and instantly became one of the biggest stars on the roster, which eventually led to her headlining WrestleMania 35 in 2019. On that night, Rousey lost her title in the main event which subsequently led to her leaving the promotion. Rousey has since started a family with her husband, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne.
Are you happy to see Ronda Rousey back competing for the WWE?