UFC Rumors: Ronda Rousey UFC Return Nears, Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino As Potential Opponent

Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey hasn’t fought in the Octagon since losing to the reigning champ, Amanda Nunes, at UFC 207. Though most people expect her to retire as an MMA fighter, longtime trainer Edmond Tarverdyan hints that “Rowdy” could fight again and their preferred opponent would be UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino.

Ronda Rousey successfully defended the UFC women’s bantamweight belt for seven consecutive fights before losing to Holly Holm at UFC 193. Rousey took the defeat seriously and admitted that she contemplated a suicide. It took almost one year before she decided to fight again and UFC president Dana White immediately gave Rousey the chance to fight for the title.

Unfortunately, it only took 48 seconds for Amanda Nunes to dismantle the former queen of the UFC. Since suffering her second loss, Rousey hasn’t given any information regarding her MMA future. In an appearance on The MMA Hour on Monday, Rousey’s longtime trainer Edmond Tarverdyan talked about Rousey’s UFC return.

Tarverdyan believes “Rowdy” will fight again in the Octagon. She may have struggled with injuries in her previous fights but Rousey has not considered a retirement yet. According to Tarverdyan, Ronda Rousey is mentally ready to fight again but her return will depend on the condition of her body.

If Ronda Rousey considers fighting again in the Octagon, most people expect her to fight either Holly Holm or Amanda Nunes. However, Edmond Tarverdyan preferred UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino as Rousey’s next opponent.

“I would love her to fight one more fight, and a fight I always wanted for her was ‘Cyborg’ versus Ronda,” Tarverdyan said. “When I trained Ronda, I knew Ronda could beat ‘Cyborg.’ I know that. ‘Cyborg’ is too slow. I’m telling you, she’s too slow for us. Ronda would beat her. And Ronda needs a challenge. She really needs to be like, ‘This person is no good. I need to prove something to the whole world.’ That’s how Ronda works good. She didn’t have that with Holly [Holm]… This one, she has it.”

The Ronda Rousey versus Cris “Cyborg” Justino superfight has been swirling around the MMA world for years, starting when “Rowdy” was named the UFC women’s bantamweight champ. When Rousey decided to fight again, UFC president Dana White planned to schedule a rematch between her and Holly Holm at the featherweight division. If Rousey defeated Nunes and Holm, Cris “Cyborg” Justino would likely be a title challenger.

Unfortunately, the idea was scrapped when Rousey was defeated by Nunes. As of now, “Cyborg” rules the UFC women’s featherweight division and successfully defended the title for the first time against current Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion Tonya Evinger at UFC 214. Though she’s not giving any response yet regarding Tarverdyan’s statements, “Cyborg” will surely love to face Ronda Rousey in the Octagon.

According to Brett Okamoto of ESPN, there has been speculation that Ronda Rousey is planning to move to professional wrestling. “Rowdy” already showed up in multiple WWE events, including last week in Las Vegas where she supported her close friend Shayna Baszler. However, the WWE has not announced any contract negotiation with Rousey and there is a possibility that she’ll fight in the Octagon for one last time before officially pursuing a new career.

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