Dana White: Ronda Rousey was 'mentally and physically ready' at UFC 207, unsure of next move

UFC President Dana White is apparently as unclear as the rest of the world when it comes to the next move in the career of former UFC champion Ronda Rousey.

White has never been shy about discussing his close relationship with Rousey (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC). However, after “Rowdy” had her octagon comeback go south quickly in a 48-second knockout loss to Amanda Nunes (14-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in this past month’s UFC 207 headliner, even the UFC boss doesn’t have a solid update on the superstar. But he admits he hasn’t pushed too hard for one.

“Ronda and I haven’t talked (about what’s next),” White told “The Herd” today on FS1. “We texted yesterday. Yesterday was the first day that we started texting, and even if it was just a regular fighter … I don’t mess with the fighters for a while. I let them have some time off. Ronda and I will talk soon and we’ll see what she wants to do.”

Rousey, No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA women’s bantamweight rankings, fought No. 1-ranked Nunes at UFC 207 in what was her first bout since a stunning knockout loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November 2015. The defeat marked the end of her lengthy 135-pound title reign, and Rousey remained mostly silent in the 13 months leading up to her return.

In what was a first for a UFC headliner, Rousey implemented a media blackout ahead of UFC 207. It apparently didn’t do her any favors since Nunes dominantly defended the title by starching Rousey in less than a minute.

The 29-year-old Rousey’s lack of media accessibility raised questions about her mental and physical state going into the fight with Nunes. The short fight only allowed a certain amount of examination on those points, but White said all pre-fight signs pointed to Rousey being in a good place.

“Listen, she trained hard for that fight,” White said. “She wanted that fight. She was mentally and physically ready for that fight. But she knows what happened, I don’t.”

The fallout from UFC 207 leaves mystery around Rousey’s future. Her post-fight actions have consisted of one statement and one social media post, neither of which provided any clarity about whether she intends to fight again.

Nunes meanwhile, became the first women’s bantamweight champion to defend her title since Rousey’s reign. White said that sets up big things for her future.

“Of all the people that were actually defending Ronda Rousey, one of the biggest ones was (former UFC champ) Miesha Tate,” White said. “Miesha Tate said, ‘Let me tell you what: Say what you want about Ronda Rousey – Amanda Nunes hits like a truck.’ She fought her first. She beat two back-to-back legends.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.