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Ronda Rousey is a combat sports legend, helping usher in a new era in mixed martial arts in the UFC and in women’s wrestling with the WWE.
Rousey’s absence from professional wrestling was much shorter than her decision to return to an MMA cage. She left WWE in October 2023 following a feud with Shayna Baszler. It was only two weeks after leaving the company that she burst onto the independent scene.
“The Baddest Woman on the Planet” appeared in Lucha VaVoom and Pro Wrestling Revolve all of a sudden before making an appearance with Ring of Honor. She told PK Press Club Digital that she wanted to work with her friend Marina Shafir.
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Ronda Rousey holds a trophy on stage after becoming the first female inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame at The Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 5, 2018. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“By the time I left, I was like I’d still like to work with Marina because Marina was still active and we were trying to figure out, ‘Oh, when you were in town, maybe we could figure something out.’ And I just had a short, small window for some reason to be able to do that. We were trying to get pregnant again,” she said. “We were going to start IVF at the beginning of the year.
“We didn’t really find anything that worked. So we contacted Pro Wrestling Revolver and we thought about doing a charity show to raise money for the survivors of the Lahaina wildfires. That’s kind of how it all happened. There was also a Lucha VaVoom show that we were able to crash in the meantime as well.”
Rousey performed at Pro Wrestling Revolver, then returned to the shadows – until last March.
She was in the middle of training camp for her MMA comeback match against Gina Carano when she showed up at the Crypto.com Arena to face “Timeless” Toni Storm following her match with Shafir at All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) Revolution pay-per-view in March.
RONDA ROUSEY MAKES SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT AEW REVOLUTION
Although she received questions about making a match at the time, she stated that she would not do so because she had to focus on the Carano fight.
“So, we got to do the Revolver show and it was awesome, and then this last showdown with AEW,” Rousey said. “I couldn’t do anything at all because I was in training camp and all these people were like, ‘Oh, is Ronda going to make a match?’ I’m like, I’m at training camp. You guys are crazy. I will not play any matches during training camp. …I love Toni Storm, I love Marina and it was also fun to be there for Marina’s first pay-per-view match. I didn’t want to take that moment away from them, but maybe shine a little light on it and give a little boost to my next fight.”
Now, Rousey’s appearance with AEW coincided with Storm’s attack during an AEW storyline on the upcoming episode of “Dynamite” after Revolution.
PK Press Club Digital asked Rousey if she was the one who attacked Storm.
“Oh, I wasn’t ready for that question…next question, next question,” she said, clearing her throat jokingly.
However, Rousey made it clear that getting involved in professional wrestling full-time or even part-time would be a major endeavor that would not be conducive to what she wanted to do with her life in the future.
“I think we’re just trying to have another kid now and all that,” Rousey said. “That lifestyle, being on the road and struggling, is just not conducive to having multiple children.
“We managed to make it work for a little while. It’s just not feasible anymore. I might be willing to do some things if it works and it’s local. We’re looking at moving to Hawaii and it would be pretty cool to open a small school.”
Ronda Rousey looks on before her featherweight bout against Gina Carano during the main card of Netflix’s Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on May 16, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix)
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Rousey proved herself to be one of the greatest mixed martial artists when she quickly defeated Carano in a dream fight earlier this month.
A few days later, she added another accolade to her impressive resume. She has partnered with Castrol to become the oil company’s new brand ambassador.
“I’m the best at what I do and I wouldn’t want to partner with anyone unless they’re the best at what they do. Luckily, Castrol is,” Rousey said, adding that filming the commercial for the company was “really fun” and a high-quality experience.
Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano pose for a photo after their featherweight bout during the main card of Netflix’s Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on May 16, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix)
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As part of the campaign, Rousey will highlight “Castrol EDGE Extended Performance’s proven ability to perform in 7 critical areas: pressure, power, fuel economy, high temperature performance, cleanliness, wear protection and endurance,” according to a press release.
