WWE wants UFC star Ronda Rousey to make leap from octagon to wrestling ring

WWE executive Paul Levesque, better known as wrestling superstar Triple H, had dinner with Rousey in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, again fuelling speculation that UFC’s biggest female star could leave the octagon for a career in sports entertainment.

“We are talking to Ronda, as we’ve been for a while,” Levesque said on Wednesday. “She has a lot of things going on. We have a lot of things going on. But we have a great relationship with her, a very friendly standpoint for a long period of time now. It was great to catch up with her.”

Rousey, once the most dominant fighter in mixed martial arts, has not competed since she suffered a 48-second loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016. Rousey (12-2) lost two straight bouts in 13 months and took a hiatus that saw her branch out into other forms of entertainment.

Rousey, who adopted the “Rowdy” nickname from WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, is a big wrestling fan and has made guest appearances at WWE events. She notably stood side-by-side with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as they fought off the villainous Triple H and his wife and fellow executive, Stephanie McMahon.

The Rock raised Rousey’s arm in celebration at the end of the segment held at WrestleMania in 2015. Rousey has since appeared in the stands at events for WWE’s developmental system, NXT.

Rousey and fellow UFC fighters Marina Shafir, Shayna Baszler and Jessamyn Duke were known as the Four Horsewomen – a tribute to the nefarious Ric Flair-led Four Horsemen stable of the 1980s and ’90s. Baszler has signed with WWE and wrestles in NXT.