White: Rousey definitely not fighting at Madison Square Garden
UFC boss: Ronda Rousey definitely not fighting at New York return show
The most famous fighter in the UFC has not fought since losing to Holly Holm via KO at UFC 193 on November 15, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. Ronda Rousey took a needed break from media duties, filmed a remake of Patrick Swayze’s Road House, and underwent minor arthoscopic knee surgery in late May to relieve nagging pain.
On Tuesday, the LA Times‘ highly-informed Lance Pugmire stopped by Rousey’s Glendale gym to see if she was there, and if she was, to see if she wanted to chat.
He saw ‘Rowdy’ inside the gym, waving goodbye.
Soon after, the female driver of an upscale SUV nodded hello. It was Rousey. She stopped and rolled her window down.
Hi, how have you been? The Times reporter asked.
Hello. Good, she answered.
Will you be back [fighting] soon?
I’m not talking to anyone right now, Rousey said.
And with that, her facial expression changed, she rolled up the window and she drove off in a hurry.
Someone close to Rousey told Pugmire that she has a swollen foot but is still training, and should know by the end of the month when she can fight again.
On the latest UFC Unfiltered podcast, president Dana White said Rousey is not fighting at the league’s triumphant return to New York at UFC 205 in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 12.
She’s definitely not fighting in New York, said White. I’m actually going to start building the New York card this week.”
The return of Rousey to MMA would be momentous, and for the title against who ever the champion is. In less than eight months, Rousey lost the title to Holm, Holm lost the title to Miesha Tate, and Tate lost it to Amanda Nunes.
There is a hierarchy to PPVs, and Rousey will in all likelihood come back at a big one, assuming she returns. The next traditionally huge PPV event is the New Years Eve show, held this year on Dec. 30 at UFC 207 card in Las Vegas, Nevada. There is also UFC 206 on Dec 10 in Toronto, but Canada is not the market it once was during former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre’s heyday.
GSP has been shooting a movie, recovering from injuries, and recovering from the crushing pressures of being a dominant champion. If that sounds familiar, it is not promising that he, too, is talking about a return, but has not fought since November 16, 2013.