– UFC female bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is looking to secure a co-main event role for her next title defense. Rousey, appearing on “UFC Tonight” recently, discussed a timetable for her return to the Octagon.
“I’d love to be on the New Year’s card again,” Rousey said. “Everything that’s happened with Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, I’d love to share a card with them.”
Jones and Cormier will meet January 3 at UFC 182 from Las Vegas. They were expected to collide next month, but a knee injury sidelined the UFC light heavyweight champion.
As for who that title defense for Rousey could come against, she named several names, saying, “Gina Carano was the first fight I ever saw. I’d love to measure myself against her. Also, Holly Holm, and I’m excited for Cat Zingano. I’m looking forward to all of them.”
– Jon Koppenhaver, the fighter known as War Machine, has been arrested after a week-long man-hunt through the southern part of the U.S. Koppenhaver faces charges steaming from an incident involving his former girlfriend, adult actress Christy Mack.
According to a report by KTLA, Koppenhaver was found at an Extended Stay America Hotel in Simi Valley, California with a small amount of cash and pizza. The police department assisted the U.S. Marshals in obtaining and bringing Koppenhaver into custody.
Koppenhaver previously fought for both the UFC and Bellator. He spent a year in jail on a previous assault charge.
– UFC president Dana White sees an interesting main event in the cards for this evening at UFC Fight Night 47 between light heavyweights Ryan Bader and Ovince Saint Preux. Bader is a former Ultimate Fighter winner, while OSP previously excelled on the gridiron for the Tennessee Volunteers.
“It’s an important fight for that division. Saint Preux is ranked No. 10 in the world and Bader is No. 8,” White said, during a recent interview on UFC.com. “Bader is a guy that started to work his way up the ladder and right when he got to the top he had a couple of mishaps. This is a very important fight for him. If he loses to Saint Preux, who knows, he could drop out of the Top-10. This fight means everything to Bader.
The main card airs tonight on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 10 p.m. ET after prelims on FS2 that start at 8 p.m. ET.
