Ronda Rousey shuts down White House fight but will ‘never say never’ on UFC return

Ronda Rousey is not interested in participating in the rumored UFC White House card next year.

The UFC is expected to promote an event on the White House lawn in the lead-up to American’s 250th anniversary next year. The plan was announced by President Donald Trump earlier this year, with UFC CEO Dana White gradually sharing more and more information about the event in the subsequent weeks.

From the moment the UFC White House card was announced, fighters have been calling for a spot on the bill. That includes stars like Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Michael Chandler, and Colby Covington.

Do not expect to see Rousey competing on the White House lawn. Speaking during an appearance on The Lapsed Fan Podcast, Rousey completely shut down the possibility. Surprisingly, however, she left the door for a UFC return slightly ajar.

“I am not fighting at the White House,” Rousey said (via MMA Fighting). “I mean, after Mike Tyson being the biggest fight of the year [vs. Jake Paul], you never say never [on a return].

“But I ain’t fighting on the f*cking White House,” she added. “I got better s**t to do… My kid needs pasta.”

Will Ronda Rousey ever fight for the UFC again?

While Rousey is clearly not interested in fighting in front of President Trump, it’s interesting to hear that she’s not completely ruling out a return to combat sports.

Rousey has not fought since 2016, when she suffered a brutal knockout loss to Amanda Nunes. Prior to that, she suffered a shocking KO loss at the hands of Holly Holm, which marked the end of a stunning unbeaten streak. Despite the losses that ended her career, she is far and away the most influential fighter in the history of women’s MMA, and one of the biggest stars the UFC has ever seen.

It seems very unlikely she’ll ever compete again, but in this age of influencer fights, who knows?