Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey has definitively ruled out any possibility of competing at the upcoming UFC White House event scheduled for June 2026. During a recent interview on The Lapsed Fan podcast, Rousey delivered a characteristically blunt response to speculation about her potential return to mixed martial arts.
“I ain’t fighting at the f*cking White House,” Rousey stated emphatically. “I got better shit to do. My kids need pasta”. The comment came after acknowledging that in combat sports, particularly following Mike Tyson’s recent high-profile return against Jake Paul, “you never say never” regarding comebacks.
Ronda Rousey Rejects UFC White House Fight
The UFC White House event represents a historic milestone for the promotion, officially confirmed by CEO Dana White following meetings with President Donald Trump in August 2025. Originally planned for July 4, 2026, to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, the event has since been moved to June due to logistical considerations. The unprecedented mixed martial arts showcase will feature fights on the South Lawn of the White House, with weigh-ins planned at the Lincoln Memorial and viewing areas set up on the National Mall.
Since retiring from MMA competition in December 2016 following consecutive knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, Ronda Rousey has transformed her career trajectory completely. The 37-year-old former champion has dedicated herself to the WWE and family life with husband Travis Browne, a former UFC heavyweight, and their two daughters. The couple welcomed their first daughter, La’akea Makalapuaokalanipō, in September 2021, followed by their second daughter, Liko’ula Pā’ūomahinakaipiha Browne, in January 2025.
Ronda Rousey’s current priorities center around creative endeavors rather than combat sports. She has successfully transitioned into screenwriting, securing a deal with Netflix to write the script for her own biopic based on her memoirs “My Fight/Your Fight” and “Our Fight”. The project represents a significant career pivot for the former champion, who spent time as an intern in WME’s story department to learn screenwriting fundamentals. Director Augustine Frizzell, known for her work on HBO’s “Euphoria” pilot episode, has been attached to helm the biopic for Netflix.
After studying structure and technique through various scripts, she completed her first draft in just seven days, impressing her agents with the quality of work from a first-time screenwriter. Chernin Entertainment signed on to produce the film, which will chronicle Rousey’s journey from Olympic judo bronze medalist to UFC champion and beyond.
Beyond her Netflix project, Rousey has authored a graphic novel titled “Expecting the Unexpected,” scheduled for release in October 2025. These creative pursuits reflect her shift toward projects that allow her to maintain family stability while pursuing artistic fulfillment. She has been clear about her inability to return to the demanding travel schedule required for professional wrestling or fighting, stating that her current life circumstances make such commitments impossible.
The UFC White House event has generated considerable interest from active fighters, with stars like Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Michael Chandler, and Colby Covington expressing desire to compete on the historic card. However, Rousey’s firm rejection aligns with her established pattern of stepping away from combat sports entirely. Her last professional wrestling appearance was in August 2023, ending her second WWE tenure on what she described as unsatisfactory terms.
Her decisive rejection of the White House opportunity effectively closes the door on speculation about her return to competition. At 37 years old and nearly nine years removed from her last MMA fight, Rousey appears content with her current path, focusing on raising her daughters and developing her creative projects rather than returning to the sport that made her famous.
The UFC White House event will proceed without one of its most famous former champions, as Rousey continues building her post-competition life around family responsibilities and artistic endeavors.
