WWE star Ronda Rousey has admitted a UFC return is as likely as return to Olympic judo – all but confirming her retirement from MMA.
Just four years and eight months into her MMA career – with just six fights under the UFC – Dana White was hailing the 31-year-old American as the greatest female athlete ever.
But consecutive defeats to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes left her reeling and she has since signed a contract with WWE.
The wrestling brand hoped a headline slot at WrestleMania and regular appearances on Raw would spark a surge in viewers but the pay-off has so far been underwhelming.
The women’s fight pioneer remains a huge draw but she has revealed a 2020 comeback for the USA judo team in Tokyo is the same odds as a return to UFC.
Speaking on the Ellen show, Rousey said: “I think it’s just as likely as me going back to another Olympics for judo.
“No one demanded a written resignation from me for judo and I don’t really think the same thing is necessary for fighting. I’m just doing what I enjoy and WWE is what I enjoy right now.”
Stepping into the octagon must be one of the loneliest experiences imaginable – especially when that steel door closes and combat begins.
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But in the WWE – and in her tag-team with ex-Olympic American wrestler Kurt Angle – Rousey has found team-spirit and camaraderie that she missed in her early sporting pursuits.
Rousey said: “It’s like a team.
“I’ve never been on a team my whole life. I was a swimmer, that was alone.
“I did judo, that was alone. I was a fighter, that was alone.
“With WWE, it’s like a big team. Everybody is working together to try to make it as great as possible.”
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