Will Ronda Rousey Ever Actually Fight Again?
Maybe not. Here’s why.
After Dana White announced that Ronda Rousey wouldn’t fight at UFC 200 as originally expected, is raised the question that came up after Holly Holm ruined her undefeated record last November: Will the woman once considered the baddest fighter in the UFC ever get in the cage again?
Over the weekend, Rousey answered with an emphatic yes. “Of course. That’s all I want to do,” she told TMZ Sports when asked about an eventual Holm rematch. When exactly that might happen remains unclear, but Rousey claimed it will likely be “sometime later in the year.”
Still, even with Rousey saying she will fight again, her actions tells a slightly different story. Just days after she begged off UFC 200, she landed a deal to star with Tina Fey in a script based off of her now-famous “Do Nothing Bitches” speech. Along with her upcoming SNL hosting gig, the biopic Paramount is developing of her life, and the Road House remake, Rousey has a busy 2016 in front of the camera.
But more time in the studio means less time in the gym, and those acting gigs will likely keep Rousey out of a rigorous training regimen and, subsequently, out of the Octagon. But it’s not just about time: Another fight would be another chance for Rousey to suffer another concussion and another chance to sustain the kind of injuries that would require another trip the plastic surgeon. As she continues pursuing major studio projects, the number of people interested in her avoiding damage to her brain and face will only increase.
Just look at The Rock. He’s going to be at WrestleMania 32, but won’t be able to really participate because of an insurance issue related to one of his movie projects. If Hollywood producers are scared of The Rock throwing choreographed punches, how do you think they’ll react to the idea of Rousey getting kicked upside the head by Holm again?
After Rousey’s loss, former pro wrestler Taz suggested that the UFC arranged to lose so the women’s bantamweight belt wouldn’t sit idle while she was out making movies. Even if you don’t think Rousey took a dive, it’s starting to look as if her devastating loss to Holm was actually a huge win for her. With it came an excuse to take a extended break from fighting as she physically recovers. In that tim, she’s continued to line up work outside the cage — ork, it should be noted, that comes with little risk, lots of reward and new, famous friends even if she’s not as good at it as she was at her previous job.
While we wonder if Rousey will ever fight again, it might be time to ask a new question: Why would she?
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