Ronda Rousey, WWE Reportedly Finalizing Deal For MMA Fighter’s Switch To Wrestling

Ronda Rousey has been rumored to transition from mixed martial arts to wrestling for months, and now that switch is finally happening.

Ronda Rousey WWE wrestling deal news

The 30-year-old former UFC bantamweight champion is “finalizing details of her move to WWE,” several reports stated Wednesday.

A long-time WWE fan, Rousey borrowed her nickname “Rowdy” from Roddy Piper and eventually formed her own four-person MMA girl squad with Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir. She caused a major reaction while crashing WrestleMania 31 in March 2015 to help Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in a confrontation with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, hip tossing Triple H before grabbing hold of McMahon’s arm.

“You need to understand something, Steph,” Rousey said on the show. “Any ring I step into is mine. If you want me to leave, why don’t you make me?”

Eight months after this, Rousey suffered her first defeat to Holly Holm at UFC 193. One year after that, her MMA career seemed over after she lost to Amanda Nunes in a jaw-dropping 48 seconds at UFC 207.

UFC President Dana White recently said he holds Rousey in high regard, but added that he doesn’t believe she needs to return to the Octagon because she is financially stable.

Rousey has attended several WWE events over the years, including the recent Mae Young Classic, where she sat in the crowd cheering on Baszler. There, Rousey, Duke and Shafir reportedly encouraged WWE’s four great female wrestlers — Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Bayley — across the entrance ramp, and WWE even released a video of a confrontation between the groups in the parking lot.

Just last week, Rousey shared a video promoting her new website that actually showed footage of her training with former WWE champion and current SmackDown superstar Natalya.

With less than four months until WrestleMania 34, it appears that a match between the two groups of “Four Horsewomen” could come to pass. However, Rousey must first complete her deal with WWE and the Royal Rumble. There has never been an all-women’s Royal Rumble match. Cris “Cyborg” Justino said in September that she would like to face Rousey in a WWE ring as opposed to the Octagon.

A recently released biographical film about Rousey, “Through My Father’s Eyes,” won first place at Britain’s Crystal Palace International Film Festival, but largely focused on the earlier years of her career.

Watch Rousey’s epic double takedown at WrestleMania 31 here:

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 22: Ronda Rousey speaks during Reebok Women’s Luncheon, hosted by Ronda Rousey, on March 22, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Reebok)