During a recent appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ronda Rousey told Ellen that her upcoming UFC 207 bout against Amanda Nunes "is definitely one of my last fights." She added, "The show isn't going to be around forever." This would seem to rather indicate that, if you want to see her in the Octagon, you and your buddies better scrape together some pay-per-view money really soon.
That being said, Rousey is probably not going to disappear off the face of the earth when she leaves the UFC. She might even end up on more PPV events in the future, because according to a USA Today report, a mutual interest exists between Rousey and the WWE. WWE chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon went as far as to say that the WWE would love to have her wrestle once she's done fighting.
"Our fans love Ronda. Ronda has this cross platform appeal in terms of all forms of entertainment," McMahon told USA Today. "We would welcome her with open arms. She is the total package." Triple H—who is also a WWE bigwig in addition to being McMahon's husband—also reportedly said that Rousey and the WWE had "talked about doing things in the future" after a recent trip to England.
If Rousey were to enter the squared circle, it wouldn't be for the first time. Last year, she appeared alongside The Rock at WrestleMania 31, where she hip-tossed Triple H, much to the delight of the Santa Clara, California crowd:
She then put McMahon into an armbar.
Despite their fictitious confrontation, McMahon had nothing but praise for Rousey's appearance. "The moment was awe inspiring,” McMahon said. “Our business works the best when there is magic and energy in the air, and Ronda’s presence brought that. With a guest appearance like Ronda’s to work best it has to be genuine and authentic. Pop culture is a huge strategy for WWE, our storylines are reflective of what’s happening in the world and what’s popular. In sports, it doesn’t get much more popular than Ronda."
Rousey also called the moment "a dream come true" and talked about how she's been a fan of pro wrestling for years now. "It was such a special atmosphere," she said, "something I have loved since I was a kid."
It's not surprising to hear Rousey say that, especially since she swiped her nickname, "Rowdy," from the late Roddy Piper. But could Rousey really end up wrestling within the next few years? And would it be for more than just a random appearance or two?
Stay tuned. In the meantime, Rousey will fight Nunes on December 30 for the UFC's bantamweight title. Win or lose, you can probably expect a career change, whether it be to the WWE or even Hollywood, sometime very soon.
