Amid heavy links to a potential return to the UFC in the last number of years, inaugural bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey has confirmed she has no plans to compete in combat sports again — citing her apparent unfit neurological state.
Rousey, a former undisputed bantamweight champion under the now-defunct, Strikeforce banner, was instated as the inaugural bantamweight titleholder upon her move to the UFC.
Most recently featuring at UFC 307 at the end of 2016, Riverside grappler, Rousey had snapped a year long hiatus from the sport with a title charge against Amanda Nunes, losing a dominant opening round TKO loss against the Brazilian.
The year prior, Rousey had dropped her undisputed bantamweight crown in a stunning second round high-kick knockout defeat against fellow former champion, Holly Holm.
However, amid links to a potential return to challenge former champion, Julianna Pena for the vacant championship before the January coronation of current gold holder, Raquel Pennington, Rousey failed to make good on a rumored comeback at UFC 300.
Ronda Rousey shuts down potential UFC return
And fans hoping to see the ex-champion compete just once more have seen those dreams shattered, with the 37-year-old confirming she had no plans to compete due to her neurological condition.
“Every couple years – the same rumor comes out,” Ronda Rousey told the Insight podcast about a return to the UFC. “It’s nice to feel missed, I guess. But it’s not happening. I’m not neurologically fit to compete anymore at the highest level. I just can’t.”
“You just get to a level where the neurological injuries you take accumulate over time,” Ronda Rousey explained. “They don’t get any better.”
Rousey, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) star to boot, scored her final mixed martial arts win to date at UFC 190 in 2015, stopping Brazilian title challenger, Bethe Correia with a dominant 34-second knockout win in Rio de Janeiro.