Ronda Rousey is set to take on Amanda Nunes at UFC 207, so both fighters took part in the customary promotional staredown. After the staredown photos were taken, Rousey seemed agitated and abruptly left the stage before she could be interviewed. In the video above, you will see her angrily pull away from Dana White.
Dana White attempted to explain her behavior with this quote:
She was never supposed to speak, and neither was Amanda,” “My production guy screwed that up. It made Ronda look bad again – like she just stormed off.“They were not supposed to do an interview. They were supposed to go out there and square off, and they were both supposed to walk away.”
I found this explanation to be odd since having each opponent speak would be a good way to promote the fight. Dave Meltzer of MMAFighting.com provided more insight into Rousey’s behavior in the following exchange on Twitter.
@davemeltzerWON any truth to the reports that Ronda was upset & had to be consoled after a face off in NY? If true, she's done.
— CD (@codoll53) November 23, 2016
— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) November 23, 2016
Rousey has been away from competition for a long time doing movies and reaping the benefits of her celebrity, so it may be difficult to recapture the mental fortitude needed for combat sport. If this report is true, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Rousey will lose her upcoming bout with Nunes, but it would show that she has yet to regain her confidence since her knockout loss to Holly Holm.