Ronda Rousey Returns; See Who 'Rowdy's' Elite-Level Training Partner Is In Preparation For Return Fight
Former long-time UFC bantamweight queen Ronda Rousey will be making her return in the Octagon at UFC 207 on December 30 in Las Vegas.
After more than a year-long layoff, "Rowdy" will be facing current UFC women's 135-pound champion Amanda Nunes. It will be the first time she steps inside the cage after she was brutally knocked out by former champion Holly Holm in the second round of their fight at UFC 193 last November 2015 in Melbourne, Australia.
Rousey has been silent as she remained in the sidelines. Apart from a Saturday Night Live appearance in January, and a tell-all interview with Ellen DeGeneres in February where she disclosed having suicidal thoughts after the Holm fight, she kept herself away from the media the entire time. No updates about her training have been posted in news outlets, and in her social media accounts as well.
It looks like Rousey will be laying low throughout the entire time, until fight promotions begin. Which is why her training partners are seemingly doing the updates for her. A recent Instagram post revealed that the former Olympic judoka is actually training alongside Olympic boxer Mikaela Mayer.
Mayer's post showed a photo of her with Rousey after a sparring session, bearing the caption "Good sparring session with the champ." The session seemingly is in preparation to face off with Amanda Nunes, who is proven to be an excellent striker as well.
Albeit being relatively unknown, the 26-year-old Mayer has made waves in the amateur boxing circuit. Although she failed to achieve victory at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she has bagged numerous honors throughout her fighting career.
She was the 2016 Olympic Trials champion, as well as the gold medal at the 2016 AIBA Americas Qualifiers. She was also the 2012 USA Boxing National Champion and a National Golden Gloves champion, which she won in 2011.
