UFC boss Lorenzo Fertitta has revealed that while Ronda Rousey is still coming to terms with her KO loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 last month, the former champion can’t wait to get back into the Octagon again.
“I went out to see her in L.A.,” Fertitta told sportingnews.com. “Had some real good conversations with her. She is, as you would expect, very disappointed. Distraught, to some extent. She’s never lost. She never lost a fight in the Octagon. She never lost a fight in the street. She didn’t know what it was like.”
The good news is that according to Fertitta she’s got no intentions of calling it quits at this stage.
“She is champing to be back in there. She made some commitments before the fight to make two movies. So she’s going to do that. Then get back to training in the Octagon.”
The movies Fertitta is referring to is ‘Mile 22’ which also stars Mark Wahlberg, and a remake of ‘Road House’ which will feature Rousey in the lead role originally made famous by Patrick Swayze.
Those are expected to begin filming in early 2016, and despite the lure of Hollywood, Fertitta has no doubts that Rousey’s heart still lies with competing.
“She has options,” said Fertitta. “But let me tell you what. Ronda is the single most competitive person I’ve ever met in my life. If you don’t think she isn’t ready right now … She’s plotting her comeback. I don’t think anything can stop her from coming back.”
Lorenzo’s opinion echoes Rousey’s own sentiments when she was interviewed by ESPN Magazine last week when she stated, “I need to come back, I need to beat this chick'” in reference to a rematch with Holly Holm.
However, the 28 year-old did also claim that if she was unsuccessful in avenging her loss that she may well hang up her gloves for good.
For now though the big question is when the rematch between Rousey and Holm will take place, and according to Fertitta, UFC 200 in July is still the date they are eyeing.
“We’d like to make that fight happen in July at UFC 200. We’re still talking to Holly’s management team to figure out whether that works for them. We should know in the near future.”
Fertitta believes that with that fight on the card, UFC 200 would well break the record of 1.6 million pay-per-views set for their last anniversary at UFC 100 back in 2009.
You have to wonder whether the race to be ready for UFC 200 will prove to be detrimental for Rousey though. In her interview with ESPN she mentioned that she probably won’t be able to engage in full contact sparring for six months due to loose teeth which wouldn’t leave a whole lot of preparation time for the rematch.
Even if she has overestimated how long her recovery will take, filming two high-profile movies in the first half of 2016 will also be a big distraction, and given the holes in her striking game that Holm exposed, that’s time away from the gym that she can ill-afford.
