UFC President Dana White confirmed Sunday that Ronda Rousey will have a chance to win back the UFC women's bantamweight title when she steps into the Octagon again.
White discussed Rousey's immediate future on ESPN Radio's Beadle & Shelburne (via ESPN.com's Brett Okamoto). He didn't commit to a date for her next fight but said it will likely happen by the end of the year, adding she'll get the winner of Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes' clash at UFC 200 on July 9.
"[Rousey] is definitely part of the discussion [to fight on Nov. 12 in New York], and she will fight whoever has that belt," White said. "I think Miesha, she's fighting at [UFC 200], she might fight again before that. She wants to fight. We'll see what happens. Miesha has been the No. 2 baddest woman in the world for years. For her to stay active right now, makes sense."
Rousey hasn't fought since dropping the bantamweight championship to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November. In January, White confirmed she would remain on an extended break from mixed martial arts to complete filming for the Road House remake.
Holm's defeat to Tate at UFC 196 in March was an indirect consequence of that decision. Her manager, Lenny Fresquez, pushed for Holm to fight another opponent rather than wait for a rematch with Rousey since the timetable for her return remains unknown.
As a result, Holm not only dropped the title, but she also cost herself some money, since the demand for Holm/Rousey 2 will have diminished somewhat.
Although he was highly critical of Fresquez immediately after the fight, White had nothing but positive things to say about Holm in her fight with Tate.
"She hung in there [against Tate]," he said on Beadle and Shelburne. "For people who know a lot about jiu-jitsu, she did everything right to defend that choke. Miesha just wasn't letting go of that neck, man. [Holm] went out like a gangster."
Should Rousey be victorious in her return bout, Holm might have to wait even longer for a rematch. A superfight between Rousey and Cristiane Justino, whose UFC debut will come at UFC 198 in May, might be too tantalizing for the company to pass up.
