Latest news with #Rousey
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Ronda Rousey Reacts to UFC, WWE Return Rumors
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Ronda Rousey remains one of the most recognized women in combat sports with historic runs in both UFC and WWE, earning multiple titles in both organizations. More Pro Wrestling: Released WWE Star Teases AEW Debut However, Rousey hasn't been in a professional fight of any kind since 2023, leaving her fans wanting more. To this day, rumors persist that she could make her return to either UFC or WWE in the near future, especially since she has recently released clips of herself training on Instagram. Now, Rousey is ready to lay those rumors to rest. LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 28: Ronda Rousey celebrates her victory over Cat Zingano in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 184 event at Staples Center on February 28, 2015 in Los... LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 28: Ronda Rousey celebrates her victory over Cat Zingano in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 184 event at Staples Center on February 28, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. MoreDuring an appearance on "Untapped" with Spencer Matthews, Rousey quickly shut down any rumors that she will return to MMA or pro wrestling, saying that her focus is now on being a mom. "I am like deep in mom mode," Rousey said, per Steve Carrier of Ringside News. "I am not in the studio, you know. I'm working out in my garage, and I'm just trying to reclaim my body from motherhood, you know?" Rousey has just given birth to her second child in January, and Rousey has made it clear that these workouts aren't meant to get her fight ready, but to make her feel more like herself. "You become this like human assembly factory, and you completely like lose your own autonomy," Rousey said. "And you literally—like—a baby is like a parasite. It is like sucking the life out of you and just taking over everything." "I'm just, you know, just trying to reclaim myself from—you know—this amazing thing that women's bodies are designed to do. "But it really does just like take you over entirely... you're left with what's left over, you're like, 'Oh my god, will I ever be the same again?' Or... the answer is no. But you could—you could be a new something." More Pro Wrestling: WWE Hall of Famer Calls Out Wrestling Fans Critical of Goldberg Rousey first made her mark competing in Judo, where she won multiple medals and competed in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the latter. Rousey would eventually translate her skills to MMA success, becoming the final Women's Bantamweight Champion in Strikeforce and the inaugural Women's Bantamweight Champion in UFC, successfully defending the title six times. Rousey quietly retired from UFC after a loss to Amanda Nunes and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018. More Pro Wrestling: WWE Has Discussed Adding New Members To Fan-Favorite Faction: Report In 2015, Rousey made her debut with WWE, when The Rock brought her into the ring to hit Stephanie McMahon. After a few more appearances of the years, she took on the moniker "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey in tribute to "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, becoming one of the top talents in the company. During her tenure in WWE, Rousey would take home the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship twice, the WWE RAW Women's Championship once, and the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship once with Shayna Baszler. Rousey also won the 2022 Women's Royal Rumble. She was the first woman to main event WrestleMania alongside Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. More Pro Wrestling: WWE's Liv Morgan To Undergo Surgery: Report Injured WWE Star Breaks Silence On Retirement Rumors For more UFC, WWE, and professional wrestling news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UFC 316: The face of women's MMA is being debated again — but is that even a thing?
The first true face of women's MMA might've been its last. That was of course Ronda Rousey, who crashed the ol' boy's party a dozen years ago by rolling a red carpet straight into the Octagon. She brought sophisticated media outlets up close to the sport that wouldn't have touched it with tongs before her arrival. When she broke news of her fight with Holly Holm, she did so on Good Morning America. It was Holm, of course, who ruined it all by knocking out Rousey at UFC 193. And it was Amanda Nunes who made damn sure Rousey would never come back after UFC 207. Advertisement Cut forward nearly nine years to UFC 316 and it feels like we're still wondering who the next face of women's MMA will be. This weekend Kayla Harrison challenges Julianna Peña for the women's bantamweight title, that glam accessory that once-upon-a-time carried so much weight. The two have been arguing over who will become the next face of women's MMA, which feels like it should be a big deal. Problem is, they seem to be the only people arguing about it. Fans aren't. Media isn't. The broader national media doesn't even know it's happening. It's doubtful that Ring Magazine, the 'Bible of Boxing,' will put the winner on its next cover as it did Rousey, or that Clay Travis will insist Harrison, should she win, fight Gervonta Davis in her next bout, as he insisted that Rousey should fight Floyd Mayweather. Saturday's fight seems to be a kind of Amanda Nunes sweepstakes more than anything else, which these days is stakes enough. The winner will almost certainly get to fight the consensus women's GOAT, who has vowed to come back after retiring in 2023. Before that happens, Nunes will get inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in a ceremony that takes place during International Fight Week later this month. Advertisement It's a win-win for the UFC. Nunes' only loss in the past decade came against Peña at UFC 269, a defeat she avenged less than a year later. That trilogy seems to be circled in sacred blood on Peña's bucket list. She has been vying for that chance for a long, long time. And should Harrison win, you have perhaps one of the most anticipated women's title fights of the past 10 years, given that both Harrison and Nunes are tanks with an intwined backstory dating to their days training together at ATT. One way or another, there's a big fight hanging in the balance of UFC 316, even if it has nothing to do with unveiling the next face of women's MMA. Maybe the trouble is that we've set the bar too high on this concept in the first place. When Rousey came in, she made everything that followed possible. In that way, she began her UFC career as God, which, you have to admit, is a super tough act to follow. Her presence brought it all into being. Nobody can replicate that kind of flex. It helped that she treated whoever the UFC booked her against like crash test dummies, submitting most of them in the opening seconds with savage armbars. She came in and ruled what was traditionally a man's game from the start. That's why young girls were crying when they met her wherever she went. UFC is still searching for its next Ronda Rousey. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) (Jeff Bottari via Getty Images) She was a symbol of something far greater than her actual status — a testament of possibility. The way she left the sport turned people against her, but that initial boom holds on as an impossible standard. Advertisement We've seen a lot of great fighters come and go in her stead. There have been moments where, if you were to squint, it looked like we might be looking at the 'next' one. Rose Namajunas was designated the next Ronda Rousey as far back as her appearances on "The Ultimate Fighter" in 2014. She's had her moments. Big moments. So has Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Weili Zhang, Valentina Shevchenko, as well as Holly Holm, Miesha Tate and Nunes herself. They've all had great careers, and some of them are still going strong. Including Nunes. Thing is, as dominant as she's been, she never wanted to embrace being the face of the sport. She was happy to win titles in two weight classes and to beat the living hell out of people, but not all the rest that comes with it. When she abruptly retired after beating Irene Aldana at UFC 289, it came with a few sad trumpet noises from the peanut gallery, but next to no real fanfare, other than the requisite tributes. Yet if she can solidify her standing as the women's GOAT by coming back and beating either Peña or Harrison? She'll take that. Really, that's all that matters. The closest thing to a 'superstar' in the making right now in the women's ranks might be the young Dakota Ditcheva, who's blowing up everyone she faces in the PFL. She's the nearest thing to the 'R' word we've seen in a while, yet it would be unfair to launch her into the sun like that, either. Which is fine. On Saturday night, Peña's the champion, and Harrison is the two-time Olympic gold medalist coming to take her belt. Take all comparisons away, and there's nothing wrong with simply being the best in women's MMA. From there, the public will see what it wants to.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC 316's Kayla Harrison: 'I would not be here if it weren't for Ronda Rousey'
MORRISTOWN, N.J. – Kayla Harrison paid her respects to Ronda Rousey ahead of UFC 316. Hoping to follow in Rousey's footsteps in the octagon, Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion Julianna Peña (13-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in Saturday's co-main event (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Advertisement Peña took a jab at Harrison for losing to Rousey in the 2005 Judo USA Championships after Harrison said that unlike Rousey, she was able to win two Olympic gold medals in judo. Harrison clarified that she didn't mean any disrespect toward Rousey, who won a bronze medal in the judo Olympics. "I was 15, and I was being sexually abused by my judo coach. It was not the best time in my life," Harrison said of her loss to Rousey in judo during the UFC 316 media day on Wednesday. "She beat me, and I'm not taking anything away from Ronda. "Ronda had an amazing career, and I would not be here if it weren't for Ronda Rousey. I have nothing but gratitude for her and the glass ceilings that she shattered for women in this sport. In our judo careers, I didn't tell any lies. My career in judo is going to be very hard to touch. And in MMA, that's the goal." Jon Anik told MMA Junkie that Harrison has an opportunity to become the face of women's MMA, and Harrison says that's the goal after UFC 316. Advertisement "Nobody is perfect. We're all doing the best we can. But there's going to be a new face of women's MMA very soon," Harrison said. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Kayla Harrison: 'I would not be here if it weren't for Ronda Rousey'
USA Today
05-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 316's Kayla Harrison: 'I would not be here if it weren't for Ronda Rousey'
UFC 316's Kayla Harrison: 'I would not be here if it weren't for Ronda Rousey' MORRISTOWN, N.J. – Kayla Harrison paid her respects to Ronda Rousey ahead of UFC 316. Hoping to follow in Rousey's footsteps in the octagon, Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion Julianna Peña (13-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in Saturday's co-main event (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Peña took a jab at Harrison for losing to Rousey in the 2005 Judo USA Championships after Harrison said that unlike Rousey, she was able to win two Olympic gold medals in judo. Harrison clarified that she didn't mean any disrespect toward Rousey, who won a bronze medal in the judo Olympics. "I was 15, and I was being sexually abused by my judo coach. It was not the best time in my life," Harrison said of her loss to Rousey in judo during the UFC 316 media day on Wednesday. "She beat me, and I'm not taking anything away from Ronda. "Ronda had an amazing career, and I would not be here if it weren't for Ronda Rousey. I have nothing but gratitude for her and the glass ceilings that she shattered for women in this sport. In our judo careers, I didn't tell any lies. My career in judo is going to be very hard to touch. And in MMA, that's the goal." Jon Anik told MMA Junkie that Harrison has an opportunity to become the face of women's MMA, and Harrison says that's the goal after UFC 316. "Nobody is perfect. We're all doing the best we can. But there's going to be a new face of women's MMA very soon," Harrison said.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ronda Rousey Speaks Out on UFC Rejection and Media Criticism
At one point, no athlete in MMA was more recognizable than Ronda Rousey. The former Olympic judoka didn't just dominate the women's bantamweight division—she transformed it. With a string of first-round armbars, Rousey helped usher in an entirely new era for the UFC, becoming the organization's first female champion and a mainstream crossover icon. But a recent interview sheds new light on the disconnect between her legacy and how she feels perceived today. In a vulnerable conversation with High Performance, Rousey opened up about her relationship with the UFC fanbase and media. 'Pretty sure if I walked into the arena, I'd be booed,' she said. 'I gave them everything I had and it wasn't enough.' She also addressed the media's role in reshaping her image, saying, 'I feel like I'm really vilified by MMA media at this point… I'm not really, you know, well welcomed back which is why I haven't gone to a UFC fight since.' Rousey also revealed a major factor in her UFC departure—long-term concussion symptoms possibly linked to CTE. In her memoir Our Fight, she wrote candidly about suffering concussions as far back as childhood and how the accumulation of head trauma continued throughout her judo and MMA careers. She described symptoms such as blackouts, vision issues, and numbness, noting that even light impacts could trigger episodes. The potential long-term effects, including CTE, weighed heavily on her decision to walk away. Over time, the toll on her health became too great to ignore. Ronda RouseyGetty Images Since stepping away from the UFC, Rousey has exited WWE and turned her focus to life outside the ring. She authored her memoir Our Fight, released in 2024, and has shifted attention to her family, raising her two daughters and embracing a quieter life away from the spotlight that once followed her every move. Recently, brief clips of Rousey training surfaced online, sparking speculation about a potential return to either WWE or the UFC. However, as of now, no official announcement or confirmation has been made regarding a comeback. Related: UFC Rising Star Sends Sparring Offer to Charles Oliveira 'I Can Imitate Topuria Perfectly' Related: Jake Paul Confirms Undisputed Heavyweight Champ Wants MMA Fight: 'They Reached Out'
