Ronda Rousey to the rescue?
The former women’s bantamweight champion, who is currently on a mission to “Mars” with a handful of aging athletes and D-list celebrities, is being invited back to UFC in an effort to save the doomed featherweight division.
Former champion, Amanda Nunes, recently retired from combat sports, leaving the promotion with little motivation to keep the weight class — which does not even warrant a spot in the official UFC rankings — from being dissolved.
“Should be 145 lbs.,” Henry Cejudo’s head coach, Eric Albarracin, wrote on social media (via Low Kick). “To save the weight class.”
No doubt a “Rowdy” return would be great for business, and the older Rousey would not have to cut as much weight, but play-by-play man Jon Anik is not in favor of the Olympic bronze medalist (judo) walking right into a division title shot.
“In a true meritocracy, that’s just not gonna sit well with me, nor that athletes that have been donating blood, sweat, and tears to mixed martial arts over the last several years,” Anik told MMA Fighting. “I didn’t like that Henry Cejudo came back and cut the line of a bunch of ‘35ers that have been active. So it would be hypocritical of me to sit here and say, ‘Absolutely, let’s elevate Ronda Rousey and have her return.’ There are four or five women who I think are deserving right now. Unfortunately, one of them is not Ronda Rousey, but we’ll see.”
The 36 year-old Rousey, who continues to make headlines under the WWE banner, has gone on record to express zero interest in returning to UFC after walking away back in late 2007, unless the promotion can somehow land this elusive signing.