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UFC Rumor: Ronda Rousey Vs. Amanda Nunes Planned For UFC 207

By Toni Matthews
Published on: 00:28 PST, Sep 19, 2016

UFC fans might get a Christmas miracle. BJPenn.com wrote that rumors are circulating that Ronda Rousey might face Amanda Nunes at UFC 207.

“According to a new report from MMA insider @TalkMMA, the UFC has some big plans for December’s UFC 207 event in Las Vegas.

“Dizz recently tweeted that the promotion is targeting a Ronda Rousey vs. Amanda Nunes women’s bantamweight title fight for their annual New Year’s Eve card in Sin City.”

Here is the tweet by @TalkMMA.

The Ronda Rousey claim was just one of a few alleged fights being put together for the card. Other proposed bouts, per BJPenn and @TalkMMA, include the following.

  • UFC light heavyweight title fight: Anthony Johnson vs. Daniel Cormier (champion)
  • UFC bantamweight title fight: Cody Garbrandt vs. Dominick Cruz (champion)
  • Heavyweight rematch: Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum

Add Ronda Rousey’s highly anticipated comeback to the mix and this UFC 207 card could be an explosive event. It would certainly end 2016 on a high note.

It was previously speculated that if and when Ronda Rousey returned, there was a small pool of women who she’d likely face. Amanda Nunes, the current UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, is at the top of that list.

Both Holly Holm and Miesha Tate failed to wait for a potential fight against Ronda Rousey. Both women are ex-champions as a result. It could be that Amanda Nunes has decided not to repeat their mistakes by opting to wait for Rousey.

It’s been a year since Ronda last stepped into the Octagon, and so it feels as though the wait for the former champion is nearing an end. But just how accurate are reports that Rousey could be back as soon as UFC 207?

The @TalkMMA tweet referenced does point out that this is a rumor. We’ve heard strong rumors about Ronda Rousey in the past. Until UFC President Dana White cleared the matter up, there was talk Ronda would make her comeback at UFC 205.

Without UFC 205, there are just two more chances for a Rousey comeback to happen in 2016: UFC 206 (December 10) and UFC 207 (December 30). It could be that this is, once again, wishful thinking in the form of a very convincing rumor. The fights rumored alongside the Ronda Rousey vs. Amanda Nunes bout seem to drive that point home.

Although Anthony Johnson challenging Daniel Cormier for the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion belt sounds feasible, it seems strange that UFC 207 would feature three title challenges on the main card. Typically a PPV card limits it to two such fights appearing on the main PPV card, usually as co-main events. Of course, it could be that these three title bouts are “in the air,” and only two of them would make it onto the card.

As exciting as these proposed matches are, their presence together on an alleged UFC 207 makes it feel more like something an MMA fan would put together.

Image viaMatthew Stockman/Getty Images
[Image by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images]

These points aside, there is one possibility working for Ronda Rousey vs. Amanda Nunes happening at the end of the year. Namely, the long line of ex-Women’s Bantamweight Champions currently forming. Since Ronda Rousey lost the title in 2015, no other woman has staged a successful title defense able to hold onto it. The belt has actually changed hands three times in less than a year.

If Amanda Nunes were to fight Ronda Rousey and win, she’d be the first woman since Rousey herself to defend her title successfully. If Ronda were to win, the belt would return to the person with the division’s longest-winning streak as champion. In either case, it would signal an end to the merry-go-round that the UFC women’s bantamweight division has become.

The UFC may want a Rousey return sooner rather than later to help bring some stability back to the field of competition.

Image via Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
[Image by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images]

Do you believe the rumor that Ronda Rousey will return at UFC 207? Share why or why not in the comment section below!

[Featured Image by Matthew Stockman/Rey Del Rio/Getty Images]

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