“I patched all of the holes, and I was already fulfilled… it was something that I wanted, not something that I needed.” ~ Ronda Rousey
Just five days before she steps back inside the cage for the first time in nearly a decade, MMA icon and UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey (12-2, 3 KOs) takes a seat with vibrant media personality Sibley Scoles for the most candid conversation of her comeback in Sibley’s debut episode for All The Smoke Fight.
Ahead of her Netflix main-event showdown with fellow women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano (7-1, 3 KOs) on Saturday, May 16, Rousey opens up on the moment that pulled her out of retirement, why this run feels nothing like the last one, and what she wants the fight game to look like on the way out.
Sibley Scoles’ arrival as a featured presenter on All The Smoke Fight signals the next phase of the platform’s expansion into combat sports storytelling, bringing a fresh voice to the biggest names in the game.
The interview dives deep into:
- Why she came out of retirement, from watching the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul spectacle to looking down at her pregnant belly.
- Building the card with Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix, featuring a triple-headliner with Nate Diaz vs. “Platinum” Mike Perry and Francis Ngannou vs. Felipe Lins.
- The behind-the-scenes UFC meeting that gave her “something to prove.”
- Her advocacy for fighter pay, the Combat Sport Future Fund, and a guaranteed $40,000 minimum purse for every fighter on the May 16 card.
- Why “characters,” not titles, are the future of the sport, and the call she might make to Paddy Pimblett if Saturday goes her way.
- Balancing motherhood with training camp, the influence of her mother AnnMaria, and what her late father might say walking into the arena.
On why this comeback is different:
“It’s experience-oriented and not result-oriented… I finally realized I’ve been doing it all backward, but better late than never.”
On her love for the sport:
“I just love this. It’s not something that I do to get something. It’s something that I do because I can’t help myself. It’s a huge part of who I am.”
On the future of combat sports:
“A great fight that no one watches is like a tree in a forest. It’s the characters that people want to see… that’s a star right there.”
To the fans:
“If you’re a new fan, welcome. If you’re an old fan, thank you. This is something special. This is something the world needs.”
Across the conversation, Rousey is reflective, funny, and unmistakably herself: a former champion who rebuilt the sport once, walked away on her terms, and has now come back not because she has anything left to prove, but because she wants to.
