The question in most UFC fans' minds has finally been answered – there will be no Ronda Rousey match for UFC 200.
UFC president Dana White himself made the announcement, baring that Rousey asked for more time due to filming schedule conflicts.
Rousey is set to appear in the film remake “Roadhouse”, which unfortunately suffered some delays in filming.
"She could do both, but the question is, should she do both? She could do both, but why should she? The filming is in a timeframe where she'd finish before 200, but it would be cutting it too close," says White via Yahoo Sports.
With that in mind, all hopes of seeing that much-awaited rematch between Rousey and reigning UFC Women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm could take some time. It also justifies the earlier move of the UFC to stage a match between Holm and Miesha Tate for UFC 197 this coming March.
Recall that Holm and manager Lenny Fresquez were a bit apprehensive on when Rousey would be ready to return. Both believed that Rousey needed more time off, and her Hollywood commitments could hinder her from making a successful comeback.
White had initially shot down the idea, obviously preserving Holm for a much-awaited rematch. To recall, Holm dealt Rousey her only defeat (so far) in the UFC with that stunning second-round knockout at UFC 193.
However, White has finally come to realize that the worst fears of many are coming true. He did, however, make it clear that with the things that Rousey has done for the UFC, she deserves a break although there is no certainty on when (or if) she will ever return to fight again in the Octagon.
"She's been fighting, promoting and building the sport. If anyone deserves the time off, it's her. The night [of UFC 193] Holly said she'd do the rematch and that Ronda deserved it and everything else. So we were holding it for her if she wanted to do it,” explains White.
The sudden and not-so-surprising news is something personalities such as Jose Aldo believed would happen (via MSN). Many believe that Rousey simply fell hard with that knockout loss and her Hollywood stints were eating up a lot of her time lately.
Regardless of the nasty rumors surrounding the deposed UFC Women’s bantamweight champion, White and the UFC seem to be willing to wait and see what Rowdy has planned ahead – a return to UFC fighting or moving on to bigger roles in the film industry.