Ronda Rousey Delivers Defiant Update on UFC White House Return Speculation

Back in 2011, Dana White famously declared that women would never compete in the UFC. Yet just two years later, the promotion crowned its first women’s champion when Ronda Rousey defended her bantamweight title against Liz Carmouche at UFC 157. Over the next few years, the former Olympic bronze medalist became the biggest star in the sport. Moreover, she racked up six successful title defenses and elevated women’s MMA to heights few thought possible. But nearly a decade has passed since her last Octagon appearance, and judging by her recent comments, a comeback doesn’t appear to be on the horizon.

Ronda Rousey Rules Out UFC White House Fight but Leaves Door Open for Future Bouts

For those unfamiliar, Ronda Rousey’s dominant run in the UFC came to a bitter end at UFC 193, when Holly Holm famously knocked her out in front of a packed Etihad Stadium in Australia. After the stunning loss, Rousey took a year-long break to recover from injuries sustained over her career. She eventually returned at UFC 207 to challenge Amanda Nunes for the bantamweight gold.

That comeback, however, proved disastrous. Nunes stopped Rousey in under a minute, effectively ending her UFC career. At just 29 years old, Rousey decided to step away from the sport. While fans hoped she might eventually return, ongoing concussion issues and mental health struggles led her to retire for good.

With the UFC’s upcoming White House event generating headlines, speculation about a Rousey comeback surfaced once again. The same thing happened in the build-up to UFC 300 earlier in 2024, when White had to shut down the rumors. This time, Rousey addressed the chatter herself, making it clear she won’t be returning in 2026 for the historic event.

In a recent appearance on The Lapsed Fan podcast, Rousey shut down speculation about a potential fight at next year’s UFC White House event. She said, “I am not fighting at the White House. After Mike Tyson being the biggest fight of the year, you never say never. But I ain’t fighting at the fu**ing White House.”

Rousey doubled down to put an end to the rumors once and for all: “Even if offered? I got better sh*t to do. My kid needs pasta!”

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Ronda Rousey isn’t interested in fighting at the White House:

“I ain’t fighting at the f***ing White House. I got better sh*t to do.”

(via @TheLapsedFan) pic.twitter.com/8ChPjMkUV3

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 8, 2025

Since giving birth to her second child in January, the former 135lbs queen has shared photos and videos of herself training on social media. While she credited MMA for helping her bounce back after pregnancy, Rousey has made it clear she has no plans to return to the sport anytime soon.

That means UFC 207 still stands as Rousey’s final MMA appearance before she made the jump to professional wrestling in 2018. She officially debuted at that year’s Royal Rumble and had her first match at WrestleMania 34, teaming with Kurt Angle in a high-profile tag team bout against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

Jul 2, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Ronda Rousey (black attire) and Natalya (green attire) battle during the Smackdown Women’s Championship match at Money In The Bank at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Rousey went on to enjoy a five-year run in WWE, highlighted by becoming one of the first three women to ever main-event WrestleMania, a historic triple threat against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 35. While she experienced plenty of bright moments, her WWE run eventually soured, and she departed after battling Shayna Baszler at SummerSlam 2023.

Rousey recently revealed that creative frustrations and backstage barriers fueled her exit, even taking aim at stars like Alexa Bliss, whom she criticized for not meeting her standards. Still, her legacy remains unmatched as Rousey is the only woman in history to capture championship gold in both the UFC and WWE.