Ronda Rousey Told To 'Walk Away & Be A Farmer' In The Face Of Potential UFC Return
John McCarthy doesn’t see any reason why Ronda Rousey should be considering a return to the UFC considering everything she’s built for herself outside of fighting.
“Rowdy” hasn’t stepped into the UFC Octagon in well over six years at this point, but longtime fans can never forget what a massive star she was during her time with the UFC.
Dana White had famously declared that women would never fight in the promotion back in 2011, but Rousey’s dominance in Strikeforce resulted in the UFC booking her and Liz Carmouche for the first women’s fight in UFC history at UFC 157.
UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik recently floated the idea that Rousey might be considering a return to MMA, but former UFC fighter Josh Thomson and McCarthy were quick to dismiss that idea on an episode of their show, Weighing In.
“Look, I love Ronda,” McCarthy said. “I’ve known Ronda for a long time. I think she’s – a lot of people don’t understand Ronda and her mindset, who she is. If she wants to come back, I’d be surprised that she wants to come back. She’s got a whole life, and she’s made a ton of money. And she can do whatever she wants. She’s got a husband sitting there, she now has a baby sitting there. And she’s got her Browsey Acres that she is very functional in and loves to be part of and wants to be there. And when you’re talking about fighting, now it’s about time. Time away from all of that.”
McCarthy Warns Rousey Not To Chase UFC Payday
Rousey’s successful run with the WWE led most fight fans to assume that “Rowdy” had moved on from MMA entirely, and McCarthy says that even the promise of a massive payday from the UFC shouldn’t encourage the former champion to disrupt her current lifestyle.
Rousey’s last fight in the UFC lasted less than a minute. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
“Could she make money trying to go back to the UFC? Yeah, Dana would pay her a s***load. S***load. But it probably wouldn’t be the smart thing for her to do. She’s got a great life. Great career in the UFC, great career in the WWE. Walk away and be a farmer.”
The 36-year-old’s run of dominance saw her defend the UFC’s bantamweight title six times and finish every opponent she faced through 12 pro fights. But Rousey famously suffered her first loss at UFC 193 when Holly Holm head-kicked her early in the second round.
“Rowdy” took more than a year off before returning to challenge Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. “The Lioness” only needed 48 seconds to dispatch Rousey and add another former champion to arguably the most impressive resume in the history of women’s MMA.
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