Ronda Rousey is looking increasingly likely to be in the opposing corner for Amanda Nunes first defense of the UFC bantamweight championship, perhaps to take place at the promotion’s year end pay-per-view.
While there’s been no clear noise from the Rousey camp regarding her return, the Brazilian champion has set out her stall and made it quite clear that a fight with ‘Rowdy’ is top of her hit list and hopes to secure it for UFC 207, which takes place on December 30th in Las Vegas, and said as much when speaking to combate.com.
“I do not know yet when I come to fight. I think the end of the year is likely, perhaps in the last event of the year,” Nunes said. “I am waiting. But I hope it’s against Ronda, of course. I do not know anything yet, I’m just waiting for the call.
“Juliana Pena said I’m running; Valentina Shevchenko said I’m running, too. If you ask me who I want to fight, I’ll say I want to fight Ronda. I’m not running from anyone. I am the champion and I can choose who I must face. I will choose what is best for me and Ronda would be a main event, so it has to be with her.”
Meanwhile in an appearance on The MMA Hour this week, former champion Miesha Tate, who knows both Nunes and Rousey well, says she’s not in favour of a champion holding out and denying contenders but understands that a fight with Rousey means big business.
“My personal opinion, as the champion you don’t wait for people, you step up when you should,” said Tate. “You should stay busy and do whatever but it’s her choice, it’s her life, and she’s probably being advised to wait. And I can’t blame the girl. It’s going to be a big fight, it’ll be a big money fight. Financially, career-wise, it probably makes sense from a political side to wait.”
