Former UFC and WWE Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey has poured cold water on the persistent rumors of a potential return to combat sports, stating that she is currently focused on her family and her own post-pregnancy recovery. In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Rousey was asked about a potential comeback to the octagon, a topic that has been a constant source of speculation since her departure from the sport.
Rousey, who gave birth to her second daughter in July 2024, made it clear that a return to the grueling world of professional fighting is not on her immediate radar. “Actually, I’m running late to the gym. I have to go right now, but I just had a baby. You know what I mean? I’m just trying to get my body identity back, and I’m just enjoying being in the gym again, and just feel a lot better and a lot healthier.
You know, have you ever had kids? It feels like being handicapped, being pregnant. It just feels really good to, like, get that freedom of movement back, you know, and just getting back to training for the love of it. And I feel like that’s something I got lost before. So I’m just really enjoying myself.”
Rousey, an Olympic bronze medalist in judo, was a trailblazer for women in mixed martial arts, becoming the first-ever UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion and one of the biggest pay-per-view draws in the history of the sport. After her final UFC fight in 2016, she made a successful transition to professional wrestling, signing with WWE in 2018. Her WWE run saw her become a multi-time women’s champion and a main event attraction, including being a part of the first-ever all-women’s main event of WrestleMania.
Since her departure from WWE in 2023, Rousey has been openly critical of the company and its former Chairman, Vince McMahon. She has ruled out a return to WWE and has even stated her belief that the company will attempt to erase her impact on the business. For now, it appears the former champion is content with her life outside of the spotlight, focused on being a mother and rediscovering her love for training on her own terms.
