Ronda Rousey Returning To UFC With Bantamweight Title Fight Vs Amanda Nunes

Ronda Rousey is set to return to the Octagon 13 months after losing her title in a shocking upset.

Ronda Rousey Returning To UFC With Bantamweight Title Fight Vs Amanda Nunes

The 29-year-old mixed martial artist will attempt to reclaim the UFC bantamweight title against the current champion, Amanda Nunes, at UFC 207 in Las Vegas on Dec. 30. UFC president Dana White announced the news Wednesday afternoon.

Rousey was considered a trailblazer of MMA, winning fights in only a few seconds, before she was surprisingly knocked out by the left foot of Holly Holm in November.

Since then, Rousey has largely remained out of the spotlight, compared to 2015, during which she appeared on several magazine covers as the face of the UFC. She has also suffered from multiple minor injuries.

The bantamweight division that Rousey once led has seen several different winners since she lost her title last year. Holm lost her own first title defense in March to Miesha Tate, who in turn lost to Nunes in July. Contrarily, Rousey defended the title six consecutive times from 2013 to 2015.

Rousey struggled severely against Holm, who is a former boxer. She has also gained notoriety as master of the armbar submission. However, Nunes is a Brazilian jujitsu black belt, and also has a background in judo, where Rousey got her start.

Nunes, 28, sent a message to Rousey on TMZ early Thursday: “My message to her is to say thank you, this fight’s going to change my life, my career and I hope she’s ready,” Nunes said. “I know she’s a very tough opponent, but I’m the best in the world.”

New York recently became the last state to legalize mixed martial arts. Add the return of Rousey, and it seems like a banner end to the year for the promotion, which was recently sold for $4 billion.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 01: Ronda Rousey of the United States (red) fights Bethe Correia of Brazi (blue) l in their bantamweight title fight during the UFC 190 Rousey v Correia at HSBC Arena on August 1, 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)