Ronda Rousey says UFC 207 ‘definitely one of my last fights’

In addition to being one of the most physically talented fighters to compete in the UFC, former women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has always known how to sell a fight.

Now that her return from more than a year away from the cage is less than two months away, the Hollywood star is again showing her marketing prowess.

During a Tuesday appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Rousey told the talk-show host that fans probably should tune into her Dec. 30 title bout against current champion Amanda Nunes because there may not be many more opportunities to watch her compete.

“This is definitely one of my last fights,” Rousey said of the UFC 207 headliner at T-Mobile Arena. “Everybody better watch because the show isn’t going to be around forever.”

Rousey has long said she didn’t plan on having a long career. Retirement rumors were fueled when she retreated from the public eye following the first loss of her career to Holly Holm in November 2015.

She is one of the highest-paid fighters in UFC history and has appeared in several movies with more in the pipeline, so Rousey has options beyond fighting.

Rousey, 29, also told DeGeneres earlier this year she had momentarily felt suicidal following her loss until she looked at her boyfriend, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne, and realized she wanted to have children with him.

On Tuesday, Rousey cited the mental exhaustion of fight camp and keeping solitary focus on one opponent for months at a time as more draining than actual fights. There is also the long list of obligations outside the cage to promote a fight, something she has been particularly adept at since bursting on to the scene.

“I think it’s more the build up that’s tiring than anything else,” Rousey said. “If we had a fight right now, I’d fight right now and then I’d go get dinner and I wouldn’t feel tired about it. It’s the weeks and weeks of build up beforehand and you know you’re fighting this one person, it’s like your showdown, the most important thing in your whole life and then millions of people are watching. It’s that build up for weeks on end.

“If it just happened right now, I wouldn’t be nervous at all. It’s the waiting.”

As for the bout with Nunes, Rousey insists she is ready to step in the cage again after her hiatus.

“I’ve been training twice a day since the beginning of August,” she said. “I finally feel like I’m super ninja.”

UFC 207 also features a bantamweight title bout between unbeaten prospect Cody Garbrandt and champion Dominick Cruz. Tickets for the event go on sale Friday.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.