After prolonged rumors regarding the return of former Strikeforce champ Gina Carano to the fight game, the next challenger to Ronda Rousey’s throne has been announced. Instead of facing off against the fighter turned actress, UFC president Dana White announced on Friday that the bantamweight champ will square off against Alexis Davis.
White made the announcement on twitter:
After three fights as the women’s 135 lb. champion, Rousey has finished all of her previous challengers. Both Liz Carmouche and Miesha Tate fell victim to “Rowdy’s” notorious armbar while Sarah McMann suffered a TKO loss. The win over McMann at UFC 170 brought Rousey’s record up to 9-0, all finishes, 7 by first round armbar.
Davis (16-5) also boasts a 3-0 record inside the Octagon. All of her victories have come by decision. Most recently she scored a split decision win over Jessica Eye at UFC 170.
The fight is expected to take place as the co-main event of UFC 175 on July 5th. That card will be headlined by a middleweight title fight between champion Chris Weidman and replacement challenger Lyoto Machida. The event will take place in the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV.