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Dana White talked Ronda Rousey at UFC 292
UFC President Dana White was on a high this weekend, after crowning Sean O’Malley as the new UFC bantamweight champion (something that will be used to justify the Contender Series and the low pay grade it is built upon for years to come). UFC 292 also brought in lots of cash for the UFC with a reported gate at Boston’s TD Garden that was only outshone by the NBA Finals.
White enthused over O’Malley and the show’s success during his post-fight press conference. During that media event, White also provided a rare comment on Ronda Rousey, a fighter who—like O’Malley—got plenty of shine from White and the UFC, and a rumour that has been swirling about her in recent months.
Dana White says ‘no shot’ of Rousey featuring at UFC 300
When asked by the gathered media if the rumour that Rousey, who is seemingly done with the WWE and pro wrestling, is gearing up for a return to the Octagon, Dana White was curt in his response.
“There’s no shot,” he said. “She accomplished everything she set out to do.”
“Her dream was to win a UFC championship then win a WWE championship,” continued White. “And she’s done it. Now she’s starting a family. Ronda has made so much money and she’s still making a lot of money in sponsorships.”
So that’s the end of it, right?
Would Dana White lie about a surprise fighter announcement for what will likely be the UFC’s biggest show ever? Of course he would.
White’s disdain for the media is not only obvious, it’s also something he seems to be really proud of. Had he scored Rousey for a shocking return, there’s no way he’d want to spoil the surprise before he and the UFC were ready to announce it. Just look what happened when Ariel Helwani spilled the beans on Brock Lesnar’s shock inclusion at UFC 200.
Despite Dana White not being a trustworthy source on things like this, I don’t think anyone should get their hopes up about seeing Rousey in the cage again.
Like White said, she has no financial reasons to do so such a thing. But White is someone who is baffled by people doing things which aren’t about making as much money as possible.
Other reasons fighters return to action include their competitive drives and sometimes their addiction to the thrills of risking it all in the cage.
Rousey always seemed hooked on winning, not so much on competing.
She is the poster child for friendly match-making in MMA, having been given a path to gold by the UFC that lead to her being the sports first ever cross-over star. That storied run included White running interference on a Cris Cyborg fight that would have likely exposed Rousey long before Holm did so in Melbourne back in 2015.
Once Rousey was dethroned by Holm (someone she and the promotion took lightly), Rousey commanded an immediate title shot on her return, against Amanda Nunes. The lead-up to that fight at UFC 207, which happened in the same year she lost to Holm, was weird to say the least.
Rousey shunned the media before and after and her second loss seemed to deeply scar her.
That lead her to pro wrestling, which seems to have gone OK.
Given how her MMA career ended, I feel it’s very unlikely that she wants any part of the sport again. Also, with how the landscape has changed in women’s MMA since she departed, I think the UFC would have to work hard to find someone on the roster she has a shot at beating, as she creeps towards 40-years-of-age and is out of practise and probably more beat-up thanks to bumps on the WWE canvas than she ever was in MMA.
It should be noted that the rising level of women’s MMA does owe a lot to the spotlight Rousey earned for the sport. However, for everyone’s sake (other than maybe White and his bank account), it probably best that Rousey’s legacy in MMA remains where it’s at.
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