Veteran journalist Ariel Helwani thinks “something is happening here” regarding a potential return to combat sports for Ronda Rousey. His comments, made on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” came in direct response to a recent flurry of MMA-style training videos Rousey has been posting.
Rousey shared clips of herself training inside an MMA cage on September 21, September 23, and October 1. The videos caught enough attention to prompt a fan question on Helwani’s show, speculating about a potential UFC fight. While he dismissed the specific fan hypothetical, Helwani made it clear he believes the training is significant.
The journalist expressed genuine surprise at the development, noting he never believed a return would happen. “She seemed so disgusted with MMA. The MMA community and the fans,” Helwani stated, highlighting Rousey’s previous attitude toward the sport where she holds a 12-2 professional record. Her final two fights were knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.
“To now see this and to see her kind of flirting with the idea is something that I never expected, but I do think something’s there,” Helwani concluded, leaving the door open on whether this translates into an actual fight.
Rousey provided her own perspective on Instagram, detailing her journey back to the mat. In a caption, she wrote:
“From 8 weeks after having a baby and 8 years of stepping away from MMA to 8 months postpartum and finding my love for it again. The first clip is my first session working with AJ of 10th Planet Oceanside I was super self conscious, embarrassed of how much I regressed, and honestly trying my very best not to pee my pants throwing punches so soon after having baby. Second clip was yesterday, I’ve never laughed or smiled so much on the mat as I do these days. The last 6 months have been an absolute blast, feels like I have so much left to grow, and without the weight of the world on my shoulders nothing is holding me back.
“What we learn with pleasure we never forget”
– Alfred Mercier”
While her training focuses on MMA, Rousey’s future in pro wrestling remains a hot topic, particularly since she has all but closed the door on a WWE comeback. She has previously called the company a “chaotic s–t show on the inside,” citing the demanding travel schedule as incompatible with her family life and stating she has no reason to return with her friends no longer there.
This stance has intensified speculation about other possibilities. According to a Wrestling Observer Newsletter report from September 12, 2025, there has been “insider chatter” about AEW being open to making Rousey an offer. That talk was reportedly fueled by her high praise for Jon Moxley, who intervened to resolve a booking conflict between Rousey and AEW President Tony Khan in late 2023.