Updated 06:30 PM EST, Sun, Dec 22, 2024

Ronda Rousey Up For UFC 176; Says 'I Would Fight on 24-hours' Notice'

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UFC 176 may have lost its main event Wednesday when Jose Aldo got injured; but if the organizers ever needed a Plan B, Ronda Rousey is willing to be drafted for it, Fox Sports said.

"They know I would do it," the UFC women's bantamweight champion said Thursday, saying she would step in the Octagon for the main event on August 2 if she comes out still fit for a fight from Saturday's bout with Alexis Davis. "If they needed me to step up, I would do it."

"I would appreciate the rest, but if they really needed me to do it, they know I would do it," Rousey said at UFC 175 media day at Mandalay Bay, just days after she said she would take a fight on 24-hours' notice. "I told them I would fight on 24-hours' notice and they know that," Rousey added. "When I make a promise, I mean it."

She's the sport's equivalent to Tiger Woods at this point, the Bleacher Report said, and the opportunity to stand in for the featherweight title match between Aldo and Chad Mendes would be a unique opportunity to capitalize on that.

The report cited a tweet from Mike Chiappetta on Aldo's predicament: "injured labrum and herniated cervical disc." He fell and hit his head and shoulder on the floor while training, the tweet added.

The fighter tied the quickest turnaround by a UFC champion ever--a span of 56 days--from UFC 168 to UFC 170, said Fox Sports. If Rousey gets green-lighted for UFC 176, that record would be shattered. And, if the report is to be believed, she has the tools to get through her weekend fight unscathed, with few giving Davis a chance to win.

Saturday's bout would be Rousey's third match in just over six months, said the Bleacher Report. All this deviates strongly from an era in which the champions are set for fights two or three months in advance, recognizing the need for ample rest and time to promote the event--not to her displeasure though. She had said she doesn't like "sitting around and resting."

But there's the question of who would be willing to fight Rousey. Fox Sports said Cat Zingano would be the No. 1 contender but won't be ready until at least September; and not for title fights just yet after her ACL injury and the death of her husband.

Negotiations have also stalled between the UFC and Hollywood star Gina Carano. Carano would have almost certainly gotten a title shot, but less than four weeks to get a contract signed would be wishful thinking.

Thus, Rousey probably wouldn't say no, except that there are no obvious opponents for her, Fox Sports said. The Bleacher Report noted that her elite skill set enables her to do turnarounds quicker than other fighters but it also is that same thing which would make opponents want to dodge her.

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