Return of Rousey doubtful - White
UFC president Dana White believes former women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will not step into the octagon again.
Speaking on the UFC Unfiltered podcast, White said he felt Rousey wouldn’t return after suffering a second career loss at UFC 207, on December 30.
‘‘Her spirits are good and she’s doing her own thing,’’ White said.
‘‘In the conversation I had with her, if I had to say right here, right now - and I don’t like saying right here, right now because it’s up to her - but I wouldn’t say she fights again. I think she’s probably done.’’
Rousey, who had put women’s combat sports on the map with an undefeated streak that began in the Strikeforce promotion in March 2011 and lasted through to November 2015 with the UFC, was trying to regain her title in December against current champion Amanda Nunes.
The fight was short-lived as the Brazilian defeated Rousey via knockout in 48 seconds.
The loss in many ways mirrored her title loss at UFC 193 in Melbourne, in November 2015, when former world champion kickboxer Holly Holm, knocked her out with a second-round head kick.
The two losses tarnished a previously flawless mixed martial arts record of 12-0, and White believes losing that unblemished record is what hurt the 29 -year-old former Olympic judoka the most.
‘‘She’s so competitive that her career record meant everything to her and once she lost, she started to say to herself, ‘What the f... am I doing? This is my whole life? This is it? I want to experience doing other things.’
‘‘That’s what she started to do,’’ White said.