Ronda Rousey said she’s “finding my love” for MMA after years of retirement but UFC CEO Dana White isn’t sure that means a potential return. Yet, top-ranked bantamweight Norma Dumont doesn’t buy a potential return to the octagon.
Dumont, who hopes to earn a shot at the 135-pound title with a win over Ketlen Vieira this weekend at UFC Vegas 110, would be shocked if the former UFC champion — one of the biggest superstar in UFC history — decides to put the gloves back on to face the elite of the 135-pound class.
“I’ll bet anything that Ronda Rousey won’t step in the octagon against any top-5 fighter in the division,” Dumont told MMA Fighting. “She’s not coming back, guys. She’s not. She was huge in her time, she got her benefits, achieved everything, but she’s not coming back to face this new generation. No chance.”
Rousey was last seen in the octagon in December 2016, when she lost to then-champion Amanda Nunes via first-round knockout. That was her first bout in 13 months, returning from a brutal knockout loss to Holly Holm in Australia. “Rowdy” was unstoppable prior to those bouts, winning 12 in a row with 11 first-round stoppages.
“The women now are twice her size, with way better striking and grappling — not better than hers necessarily, but way beyond what existed in her era,’ Dumont said. “They’re knockout artists, huge women. Kayla [Harrison is] massive, with her judo. Honestly, I don’t think Ronda could beat Kayla in MMA. With Amanda coming back, I don’t see any matchup that makes sense for Ronda’s return. I really don’t think she’s coming back. I think these are just rumors for people to have fun with and keep that ‘what if’ energy alive. When an athlete retires early, people always wonder if they’ll come back.”
Dumont said she’s not really “concerned” about Rousey coming back and delaying her title hopes, nor with the potential signing of Larissa Pacheco. The two-time PFL champion has a history with current UFC champion Harrison, going 1-2 against her in PFL, and became a free agent this week after being released by PFL.
“I don’t know if she’ll come back to the UFC or not, but I think she’s a very interesting name for the division,” Dumont said of Pacheco. “I think the UFC should bring her back because she’d easily be top-5 and a legitimate title contender. From an investment standpoint, I think it’s something the UFC should do, even though I don’t think they will. They’ve had plenty of chances to sign Pacheco, and for some reason, I don’t know what, they haven’t. But I believe they should because she’d add real value to the division. That’s exactly what this weight class needs.”
Pacheco’s return to the octagon would boost the bantamweight division, Dumont said, adding more name value to a weight class that currently has Harrison and former champions Julianna Peña and Raquel Pennington, plus a returning “The Lioness” Nunes and up-and-comers like Bia Mesquita. Dumont does wonder, however, if Harrison is in for a long run in the UFC.
“If she loses to Amanda, I think she retires immediately,” Dumont said. “Because on top of the loss, there’s the brutal weight cut. That whole mix of weight cuts and defeat, especially depending on how it happens, like if she gets knocked out, I think she might not come back. But I’ve also heard from people close to her that she’s interested in staying active and defending the belt. I just don’t know. We’ve also heard from her own mouth, inside the octagon, that the only reason she didn’t retire was because she still had that fight with Amanda to do. So, I think it’s really open.”
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