Ronda Rousey returns, will face Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 on Dec. 30

The long-awaited return of Ronda Rousey has been confirmed.

UFC president Dana White made the announcement that the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion will make her anticipated return to the Octagon on Dec. 30 at UFC 207 in Las Vegas against the division’s current champion, Amanda Nunes.

Rousey’s hasn’t fought since losing to Holly Holm last November and there had been growing concerns as to whether a return to fighting was in her future. However, Dana White stood firm that Rousey would eventually return and promised her a title shot whenever she decided that she was ready to compete, much to the chagrin of the rest of the division.

Since losing the title to Holly Holm at UFC 193, the title has changed hands on two occasions with no champion having a successful defense. Holm lost to Miesha Tate by submission at UFC 196 and Tate dropped the title in her first defense against Nunes at UFC 200.

Once labeled the ‘World’s Most Dominant Athlete’, Rousey had a rapid ascension to superstardom.

She worked her way through the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight division with such efficiency that she changed the mind of UFC president Dana White, who had previously said that women would never fight in the UFC. He ended up creating a women’s division within the promotion because of Rousey’s dominance and drawing power. (The UFC has since added a second women’s division at strawweight.)

Rousey had won the first 12 fights of her MMA career, 11 of them in the first round. It took her a total of 1:04 to defeat Bethe Correia, Cat Zingano and Alexis Davis in the three title defenses before the loss to Holm.

Rousey became the sport’s biggest star and was a regular on talk shows, instantly recognizable by the mainstream audience – which in turn meant huge pay-per-view numbers for the UFC whenever she fought.

It’s safe to say that Dana White is happy she’s back.