Ronda Rousey would only return to the UFC Octagon for a fight with fellow legend Gina Carano.
The former bantamweight champion was one of MMA's biggest stars during the prime of her career, landing 12 consecutive wins before being dethroned by Holly Holm in 2015. And after losing her comeback fight the following year to Amanda Nunes, Rousey swapped the UFC octagon for the WWE ring with a successful run in the professional wrestling world.
Now, Rousey is a mother and focused on her second stint with WWE, appearing to have little interest in making a fighting comeback at the age of 35. But she has said that if Carano, now a major film star, were to ask her for a comeback bout, she would respectfully accept after being inspired to compete by the former fighter.
Asked by wrestling legend Kurt Angle what it would take for her to fight again, Rousey replied: "I’ve said it a million times. It’s not like it’s something new, but, for Gina, man.
"Gina Carano, she’s the reason why I got into fighting, she’s the reason why I knew it was a possibility. I will always be forever grateful. And if she ever was like, ‘Ronda, I want to fight you tomorrow at 205 pounds,’ like whatever the hell she’d want.
"I’m not saying she’s 205 pounds – if she wanted to come into my backyard and do the Rocky thing or, you know, ding, ding and we just do it in the backyard, I don’t care.
"I will fight Gina wherever she wants and if she doesn’t want to forever, leave it at that. It’s a respect thing, not like a, ‘f*** you. I’m not coming to get you’. It’s just like 'hey, if you ever want to pull that card out, it’s there'. I love her. Thank you, Gina, for everything you’ve done."
Carano this week released her new movie produced with Ben Shapiro's Daily Wire entitled 'Terror on the Prairie'. She hasn't fought since 2009, and at the age of 40, it appears unlikely that she would be interested in what would still be a massive money fight with Rousey.
Would you like to see Ronda Rousey fight Gina Carano in a return to the UFC? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
She has established herself as a major player in Hollywood with roles in Fast and Furious 6, Deadpool and Star Wars' spinoff show The Mandalorian. And after a difficult few years, she has returned to acting with her new project.
"The release of this movie feels like closure of a particularly painful experience in my life," Carano said in a statement on Tuesday night. "Becoming Hattie McAlister allowed me to wear everything I was feeling at that time out loud.
"And to my surprise you can really feel it on the character more than I was aware. This is a story about a family struggling with all the elements against them and then some, but they are fighting for their lives and dreams. Maybe that is something people can relate to these days."
