The return of Ronda Rousey could also be the beginning of the end of her fighting career.
Rousey looks to make a triumphant comeback after a year-long hiatus when she challenges Amanda Nunes for the women's bantamweight championship in the main event of UFC 207 on Dec. 30 in Las Vegas. During an appearance Tuesday on "Ellen," Rousey was asked how much longer she planned to continue her MMA career. She revealed the Nunes fight could be one of the last times she competes inside the Octagon.
"Not that long. I'm wrapping it up," said Rousey. "This is definitely one of my last fights. Everyone better watch because the show isn't going to be around forever."
The 29-year-old Rousey has not fought since suffering her first professional loss to Holly Holm last November. In that bout, Rousey was the victim of a brutal second-round knockout that cost her a UFC title. Her public appearances became more rare following that setback, though she did an interview with Ellen DeGeneres this past February in which she confessed to having suicidal thoughts as a result of the Holm fight.
On Tuesday, Rousey told DeGeneres the events leading up to her fights took more of a toll on her than the fights themselves.
"I think it's more the buildup that's more tiring than anything else," said Rousey. "If we had a fight right now, I'd fight right now and then I'd go get dinner and I wouldn't feel tired about it.
"It's the weeks and weeks of buildup beforehand, you know you're fighting this one person, and it's like your showdown, the most important thing in your whole life, and then millions of people are watching, it's that buildup for weeks on end. If it just happened right now, I wouldn't be nervous at all."
Prior to her most recent fight, Rousey was considered nearly unbeatable. She won her first 12 fights with only one opponent making it out of the first round. Her stardom skyrocketed during a four-fight stretch from February 2014 to August 2015 in which none of her foes lasted longer than 66 seconds.
That in-cage dominance translated into a budding Hollywood career, which included parts in "Furious 7," "Entourage," and "The Expendables 3." This past January, Rousey became the first MMA fighter to host "Saturday Night Live."
Should UFC 207 mark her last appearance, Rousey will go down as one of the most influential and successful athletes in the promotion's history.
See Rousey's appearance on Ellen below:
