'Bold' female heavyweight fighter Ronda Rousey: "Actually, when I was pregnant..." The reason for her comeback after 10 years

*This content was translated by AI.

Ronda Rousey (39), who opened the era of women's combat sports, is returning to the octagon. However, it is expected that Rousey's matches will be difficult to see again after this comeback bout.

U.S. media 'New York Post'reported on the 16th (Korea time) that "Rousey will headline an MMA event held on the 16th at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California". Her opponent is Gina Carano (43), a first-generation star of women's combat sports and another legend.

At a press conference held in New York before the match, Rousey stated "this fight is a one-off bout", adding "she has promised her husband to completely retire from combat sports after this fight. Since we want to have more children, there will be no reversal of retirement".

However, Rousey left a slight possibility of extending her active career by saying "unless she engages in a legendary match against Carano that necessitates a third bout or a rematch, she will not fight any other new opponent".

Rousey, who once dominated the UFC bantamweight division, successfully defended her title eight consecutive times from 2012 to 2015, establishing herself as the world's strongest female fighter. A former judo Olympic bronze medalist, Rousey often overwhelmed opponents with sheer power and secured submissions, ending six title fights in under 70 seconds. However, after consecutive losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, she left the octagon from the end of 2016.

During her long hiatus, Rousey shuttled between the WWE professional wrestling stage and Hollywood, and had no intention of returning to combat sports. Rousey explained her comeback background by saying "I thought I would never fight again and had built a mental wall", but "I stepped back onto the mat to help coach Rickson Gracie with his judo black belt training, and I rediscovered my passion and joy for combat sports".

Coincidentally, Rousey's resolve to return crystallized when she became pregnant with her second daughter about 15 months ago. Rousey initially proposed a matchup against Carano to UFC president Dana White, but the deal fell through due to mismatched conditions such as fight purses. Ultimately, she partnered with YouTuber boxer Jake Paul's combat sports organization, MVP.

In addition to the matchup between Rousey and Carano, this event will also feature prominent male UFC stars such as Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz. Despite this, regarding women fighters headlining the main event, Rousey expressed "deep respect for legendary male athletes who made way for us to become headliners", and "the idea I had while sitting in an office chair during my pregnancy has become reality. I am incredibly proud to be dreaming the same dreams as the legends".

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*This content was translated by AI.