7 Predictions For Ronda Rousey's UFC Return
Ronda Rousey returns in little more than a week at UFC 207!
After a devastating loss to Holly Holm at UFC 196 in November 2015, Ronda Rousey went underground. Way underground. She left the spotlight, she turned down big fights at UFC 200 and UFC 205, stopped doing media and didn't appear in any big films.
Fans began to turn on her. For over a year, she's been persona non grata. Maybe it was her pride, that came before quite a fall: after losing her UFC bantamweight championship, Rousey didn't handle loss well, and openly spoke of suicidal thoughts. That, and her disappearing act, led fans to believe she might even be done in the sport of MMA.
Nope. She's baaaccckk! Rousey is set to return at UFC 207. The news came out a few months ago, but the promotion for the fight is really just ramping up now. Rousey has decided to do precious little media to promote the bout, but the UFC knows that her name alone will sell the card, which also features a men's bantamweight title fight between Dominick Cruz and Cody Garbrandt.
The return of Rousey is the focus however. How will she look? Will she be the same dominant fighter we saw in the past? Will she hesitate, thinking of the beating she took at the hands of Holm? Let's take a look now at seven predictions we have for the return of Ronda Rousey on December 30 at UFC 207!
7. The Ring Rust Will Be Really Noticable
There is one inescapable fact for every fighter not named Dominick Cruz when it comes to time away from the cage: ring rust (or maybe we should say cage rust) is very, very real.
Ring rust, in short, is what happens when a fighter hasn't had a live fight in a good long while. Train all you want, spar all you want, chances are your sparring partner isn't trying to take your head off. The experience gained from a real fight is unparalleled; what's lost from lacking that experience is considerable.
Even the best fighters will find it hard to shake off ring rust after over a year away, which is what Rousey is facing, having been out of action since November 2015. When she returns to face Amanda Nunes, we may find her a step slower, her reactions a little dulled, her Fight IQ down a notch or two.
That doesn't spell certain loss, mind you. If she can shake off that ring rust quickly, or simply play to her strengths and avoid a drawn out fight, she can be successful.