Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey has sparked social media buzz after sharing footage of a training session with her one-time opponent Cat Zingano, marking a surprising reunion between the two athletes.
Rousey, who hasn’t competed in MMA since 2016 following her match against Amanda Nunes, posted videos and photos of herself working out alongside Zingano, whom she previously faced in 2015 in a bout that lasted just 14 seconds.
The training session showed both athletes engaging in various techniques, including boxing pad work and grappling. At one point, they recreated the signature armbar position from their past encounter, leading to shared laughter between the former opponents.
“Only @cynthiavancejp could shoot my struggling through postpartum ass and make it look this good,” Rousey wrote on Instagram. “Thank you @alphacatzingano for stopping by and helping me relearn how to move – I forgot how fun it could be.”
While the footage has led to speculation about a potential return to competition, Rousey has previously addressed such rumors definitively.
“Every couple years the same rumour comes out,” she stated. “But it’s not happening. I’m not neurologically fit to compete anymore at the highest level. I just can’t.”
Since stepping away from MMA, Rousey competed in WWE until 2023 before focusing on family life. She recently welcomed her second child with partner Travis Browne.
“I had already had dozens of concussions that I trained through,” Rousey explained about her decision to retire. “Like, not even stopped for. So that was about a decade of having concussion symptoms more often than not. I got to a point where I couldn’t take a jab without getting dazed, without getting concussion symptoms.”
Despite her clear stance on competitive retirement, fans continue to express enthusiasm about her training videos, with some suggesting potential matchups and others encouraging a comeback. However, Rousey maintains that continuing at a professional level “just wasn’t safe for me anymore.”
