3 Compelling Matchups For A Potential Ronda Rousey UFC Return (And 3 She Should Avoid)

Lover her or hate her, Ronda Rousey's impact on women's mixed martial arts can't be denied. If not for the polarizing California native, there's a good chance that female fighters wouldn't be competing in the UFC. Her marketable persona and ability to finish opponents quickly made Rousey one of the sport's biggest stars and essentially forced UFC President Dana White to create a division for her.

However, despite her initial success, the former Olympic judoka lost her last 2 fights inside the octagon and decided to head for the greener pastures of World Wrestling Entertainment. These days, the former bantamweight titleholder is defending a new crown — the WWE Raw Women's Championship.

Despite her new career path, and the fact that she's been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, Rousey has never officially retired from the sport of mixed martial arts. As one of the UFC's biggest stars, the former bantamweight queen would be welcome back into the fold with open arms — when and if she ever decides to return.

That being said, if Rousey does choose to come back to the sport that made her famous, there are plenty of intriguing fights out there for her.

Specifically, there are 3 matchups that would be ideal for the "Rowdy" one's journey down the comeback trail — there are also 3 potential opponents that she should definitely steer clear of.

"Bullet" Valentina Shevchenko is the current UFC Women's Flyweight Champion and easily one of the top 5 female fighters in the world. The flyweight queen has also fought several times at bantamweight and even had 2 very competitive bouts with current champ Amanda Nunes. Shevchenko remains one of the few big-name fighters who Rousey hasn't shared the cage with.

Since attempting to win titles in different weight classes has become all the rage, Rousey could try and make it down to 125 to challenge for the flyweight strap. Of course, given the money she would stand to make, the "Bullet" would likely be more than willing to come up to bantamweight for the contest, as well.

However, regardless of weight, this potential bout would be a horrible matchup for the current WWE champ. Shevchenko is a Muay Thai specialist and one of the best strikers in MMA. "The Bullet " has used her elite standup game to defeat the likes of Holly Holm and Joanna Jedrzejczyk —two women who are phenomenal strikers in their own right.

Conversely, Rousey has struggled in the standup department and suffered brutal knockout losses in her 2 most recent bouts as a result. Avoiding an elite striker like Shevchenko would be a wise move for the Hall of Famer.