Ronda Rousey retires after UFC 207

Here today, gone tomorrow.

Literally.

This may be the last time mixed martial arts (MMA) fans get to see former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight titleholder Ronda Rousey, who is likely to hang up the gloves in the wake of a successful Octagon return.

The means to that end is a victory over reigning division queenpin Amanda Nunes at UFC 207, who awaits “Rowdy” in the five-round pay-per-view (PPV) main event later tonight (Fri., Dec. 30, 2016) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

After that?

LAS VEGAS, NV — DECEMBER 29: (L-R) UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes of Brazil and Ronda Rousey face off during the UFC 207 weigh-in at T-Mobile Arena on December 29, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Former coach, Jimmy Pedro Jr., talks to Bleacher Report:

"I think she needed the time off. She needed to heal. She was severely depressed. She needed the time to put things in perspective and realize, again, that everyone is human. Everyone gets beat. No one is invincible. When Ronda has something to prove to the world, she's tough. It's the way she was brought up. It's part of her DNA. The Ronda that I know, you have to kill her. She's never going to quit. If she's alive and breathing, she's still fighting. I think she's going to come out, win this fight and you may never see her again."
Can’t say she didn’t warn us.

LAS VEGAS, NV — DECEMBER 29: Ronda Rousey poses on the scale during the UFC 207 weigh-in at T-Mobile Arena on December 29, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Rousey hasn’t seen action since her stunning upset loss to Holly Holm at the UFC 193 PPV extravaganza in late 2015, one that not only prompted a yearlong hiatus, but also a “crushed soul” by way of media circus.

My, how times have changed.

If Rousey wins and calls it a career, the promotion is like to put Nunes back into a championship showdown against the winner of Julianna Pena vs. Valentina Shevchenko, who fight here, with the vacant strap up for grabs.

LAS VEGAS, NV — DECEMBER 29: UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes of Brazil poses on the scale during the UFC 207 weigh-in at T-Mobile Arena on December 29, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

The next few weeks are going to be very, very interesting.