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Dana White reveals when Ronda Rousey might return to the UFC

After suffering her first defeat in the Octagon last November to Holly Holm, it appears that Ronda Rousey is ready to get back to work. However, any thought of her fighting at UFC 200 has been dashed as UFC president Dana White revealed that the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion will likely wait until the end of the year to compete.

Ronda Rousey has a return date in mind for 2016.
Ronda Rousey has a return date in mind for 2016.

“She’s in a great place mentally, physically and emotionally; every way you can be good, she’s good,” White told TMZ Sports about a recent dinner meeting he had with Rousey. “She’s talking about coming back at the end of this year. She’s either talking about coming back in November or December.”

Although Rousey was supposed to be away filming a pair of movie projects – a remake of “Road House” and a film with Mark Wahlberg titled “Mile 22” – there was some speculation that Rousey could return earlier than that after Holm lost the title to Miesha Tate at UFC 196. After the fight, White told ESPN that he had spoken to Rousey and the 29-year-old vowed to “get back to work” after she was informed that Tate had defeated Holm. That quote led people to believe that we could see Rousey back in a UFC Octagon sooner rather than later considering that she was also promised the next shot at the title she lost to Holm.

But there has been no movement outside of that conversation. Both of Rousey's movies have yet to begin filming, yet it appears Rousey is content with taking a year off from the sport after a grueling 2015 that saw her fight three times.

But after meeting with White, the UFC president is convinced that the old killer might be back.

“She’s ready again,” he said confidently. “She’s ready to fight.”