UFC Fight Rumors 2016: Ronda Rousey Won't Be Returning at UFC 200
Ultimate Fighting Championship's former bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey was slated to ace tormentor and current champ Holly Holm at UFC 200, but it looks like the plan has been scraped off. The promotion's president, Dana White, revealed that it was Rousey who begged off for additional time the moment her upcoming film's shooting has been delayed.
The original plan was to immediately give the American fighter the rematch promised to her in case Holm defeated her in their first fight, which everyone knows exactly what happened. The UFC 200 fight card could have been her chance redemption, the earliest she could get after her medical suspension due to injuries suffered in that bout.
Now it certainly looks like the earlier announcement of Holm taking on former contender Miesha Tate at UFC 197 is not dumbfounded after all. As a matter of fact, Rousey's request to take some time off may very well be the reason for a change of plans.
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As for the new champ in Holm, she couldn't have asked for a better outcome after all of these. Before the news of Rousey's request, she and her camp have been quite insistent on fighting someone else other than Rousey because she couldn't wait for her to have her injuries completely healed. Now she's getting what she wants with Tate on board.
The 28-year-old Rousey may still be the biggest draw in mixed martial arts today, but keeping herself unavailable for future fights isn't really a good decision. There is a valid reason for declining the spot for UFC 200, but she really cannot avoid future commitments or else she's out of the spotlight in no time.
The undefeated Holm (10-0) will now train for the defense of her 135-pound title against Tate for UFC 197 scheduled on March 5 in Las Vegas. This is the same card that will feature an explosive lightweight fight between Conor McGregor and Rafael dos Anjos.
