UFC CEO Dana White has reaffirmed that Ronda Rousey will always be welcome at UFC events, calling the promotion “her house.”
Rousey, a Hall of Famer and one of the most influential figures in women’s MMA, hasn’t attended a UFC fight since her retirement in 2016, following back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. In 2024, she admitted she had avoided events because she felt “vilified by MMA media” and feared being booed by fans.
Speaking after UFC 321, White addressed her absence:
“I love her. I have an incredible relationship with her,” he said. “She’s welcome to anything we have — it’s her house, and it will always be her house. That’s a personal thing for her; it has nothing to do with us or the UFC.”
Rousey briefly appeared at a Power Slap event in Las Vegas earlier this year but has largely stayed out of the spotlight since moving on to a successful WWE career and later focusing on family and writing.
Now 38, Rousey has been the subject of renewed comeback rumors, fueled by her return to training and Mike Tyson’s $20 million exhibition comeback, which she says inspired her.
“Mike Tyson coming back and having the biggest fight last year kind of proves that no one’s ever really done,” Rousey said recently. “With Mike Tyson, you can never say never now.”
While a return remains uncertain, White’s message was clear — if Rousey ever wants to come back, the UFC’s doors are wide open.
