Rousey eyeing December return, coach confirms

Ronda Rousey's trainer has substantiated Dana White's comments about the star's return to the Octagon.

White entertained the possibility of a women's bantamweight title bout between Rousey and reigning champion Amanda Nunes, maybe by year's end, in a recent interview. Edmond Tarverdyan, Rousey's trainer, partially corroborated those comments Thursday.

"There have been talks about her coming back, but we haven't made a final decision yet," Tarverdyan told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. "There's a chance she fights to get her belt back this year, but nothing is set yet. If we do make a comeback this year, we will. If not we will make it next year. We want to thank all our fans for being patient. When she does come back, we promise the best Ronda Rousey that anyone has ever seen."

Rousey hasn't fought since losing the division title to a brutal Holly Holm head-kick knockout at UFC 193 last November. She's since undergone knee surgery, hence the lengthy layoff.

If the former champion does indeed return in 2016, her comeback bout will likely be scheduled for UFC 207, the promotion's last event of the year, on Dec. 30.