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This Saturday will people nan extremity of Ronda Rousey's nine-plus-year hiatus from mixed martial arts, and if each goes arsenic planned, it will people her farewell.
The 39-year-old is possibly nan top female MMA prima of each time, and she's giving fans 1 much show arsenic she will look chap legendary combatant Gina Carano astatine nan Intuit Dome successful Inglewood, California, pinch nan thief of Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions.
"Yeah, I’m excited. It’s finally, like, ace real," Rousey told Fox News Digital. "At first, we were training successful concealed for, like, a year. It was really much for illustration a twelvemonth and a half astatine this point, but astatine slightest complete a year. And now it’s benignant of really bittersweet that it’s coming to an end. I’ve been having specified a awesome time. This campy has been 1 of nan astir unthinkable experiences of my life."
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UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey celebrates her triumph complete Alexis Davis astatine UFC 175 wrong nan Mandalay Bay Events Center successful Las Vegas, Nev., connected July 5, 2014. (Donald Miralle/Zuffa LLC)
Rousey, nan first female signed by nan UFC who became a Hall of Famer successful 2018, retired successful 2016 aft six successful UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship defenses earlier entering WWE full-time. Rousey’s MMA grounds sewage disconnected to a 12-0 commencement earlier she mislaid her last 2 bouts to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, respectively, and 9 of Rousey’s 12 victories came wrong nan first 70 seconds. All but 1 triumph was successful nan first round.
It's nary concealed that Rousey is retired of her prime, but this campy "hasn't felt for illustration a grind astatine all."
"We made joyousness a privilege — really enjoying nan process alternatively of conscionable hoping enjoyment would travel on nan way," Rousey said. "Before, everything was truthful result-oriented. Now, it’s astir nan process. And erstwhile we made that shift, 'Let’s make this arsenic nosy arsenic possible,' I started getting amended results than ever. I consciousness amended than I ever have, physically and mentally."
"I utilized to beryllium very overmuch successful that old-school mentality of, you person to suffer and make yourself miserable successful bid to beryllium nan champion you tin be. And now it’s like, no, I recognize it doesn’t person to beryllium that. I tin bask this arsenic overmuch arsenic possible, and it makes maine nan champion that I tin be. Because I already cognize that I’m a bada--. I already cognize that I tin excavation deep. I’ve already paid each those dues, I’ve done each of those things. So I deliberation conscionable making it fun... bully vibes only, it’s each astir me, there’s nary of this different worldly going connected astir me, nary superfluous noise."
So, why travel backmost successful nan first place?
Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano airs aft nan property convention for nan Most Valuable Promotions MMA paper astatine nan Palladium Theater successful New York connected April 15, 2026. (Ed Mulholland/Imagn Images)
RONDA ROUSEY RETURNING TO FIGHTING AFTER NEARLY 10-YEAR HIATUS: 'THIS IS FOR ALL MMA FANS'
"Gina, that’s nan reason," she said.
"I was sitting 9 months pregnant, astir to pop, successful an agency chair. I saw her astatine a debased point, losing her bodily personality and being really unhealthy. And aft seeing Mike Tyson travel backmost astatine astir (age) 60 and beryllium nan most-viewed combat sports arena of each time, I knew location was a immense request retired location and that these showcase fights were nan early of combat sports.
"When I saw wherever Gina was at, and I looked down astatine my large belly, wherever I was at, I was like, ‘You cognize what? A conflict betwixt america would beryllium immense not conscionable for nan world, but for each other.’ And I deliberation this is what combat sports needs. This is what we need. And conscionable for illustration she inspired maine to do MMA successful nan first place, she’s nan 1 who inspired maine to travel back."
Rousey said she "promised my hubby and swore up and down to my sister" that this is her last fight. Knowing it's a farewell aft astir a decade out, each of nan emotions are successful play.
"That fluttering successful nan chest, that nervousness, I cognize that’s what happens erstwhile I’m astir to do awesome things. I don’t go acrophobic of my ain worry aliases my ain fear, successful a way. I wouldn’t moreover explanation it for illustration that. I’m not acrophobic of really my assemblage reacts to those things, because I cognize that’s what it does earlier I do thing great. I execute supra myself erstwhile I’m nether a immense magnitude of pressure. So erstwhile I consciousness those symptoms of that pressure, I don’t awkward distant from it and get frightened of it.
"It’s much for illustration nan motorboat series earlier nan rocket blasts off."
As overmuch nosy Rousey has had, location is still a extremity - winning. Admittedly, "if there’s anyone connected this world who I would beryllium okay pinch taking my happiness and moving astir pinch it, it’s Gina," Rousey said.
"Because she’s nan only personification successful women’s MMA that doesn’t beryllium maine a damn thing—and that I beryllium immensely," she added. "And if this is nan only measurement that I tin springiness backmost to her—to springiness her nan comeback communicative of a lifetime—I beryllium everything, each nan prosperity successful my life, to her. If that’s nan measurement that it has to go, past that’s nan measurement that it has to go."
But it won't beryllium easy.
UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey interacts pinch nan crowd during nan UFC Time Is Now property convention astatine The Smith Center for nan Performing Arts successful Las Vegas, Nev., connected Nov. 17, 2014. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images)
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"She’s going to person to pry triumph from my cold, dormant fingers. Because I want to show her nan monster that she created. And I want her to beryllium proud of me," Rousey said.
"I want maine beating nan s--- retired of her to really beryllium nan top compliment I could ever salary her."
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