Former UFC fighters Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler to compete in “MMA Rules” match at WWE SummerSlam
At WWE SummerSlam this Saturday, former friends, allies, and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler will face off in what is sure to be a personal, hard-hitting matchup with MMA Rules.
Their friendship stunningly imploded at WWE Money in the Bank when Baszler attacked Rousey by hitting her from behind, allowing Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez to capture the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships in the chaotic aftermath.
“The Queen of Spades” followed that up by verbally assaulting her former partner and lamenting the fact that her own path to WWE was much more difficult than Rousey’s.
In the following weeks, the two Superstars have come to blows on several occasions, and with no hesitation, they agreed to battle at SummerSlam August 5 inside Ford Field in Detroit .
It’s been YEARS in the making as @RondaRousey & @QoSBaszler meet in MMA RULES this Saturday at #SummerSlam!
📍 DETROIT
🎟️ https://t.co/8jJD4Qj6gn pic.twitter.com/v52RdG6LKQ— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2023
But what does MMA rules truly mean?
Rousey is the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion, and Baszler, often credited as a pioneer of women’s MMA also fought in the UFC, but never earned a title.
The matchup seems quite silly at this point, given that there likely won’t be a true MMA feel to the bout. Will there be three judges sitting ringside? Will be official MMA gloves, a weigh-in, three five-minute rounds, a commission certifying the legitimacy of the fight? The answer to all or most of these is probably ‘no.’
The simple answer is that the MMA rules match will likely involve a variety of submission attempts from both competitors and will either end with Rousey landing her signature armbar, or Baszler forcing “Rowdy” to tap, and possibly ending her run in the WWE as has been previously suggested.
Get ready for MMA RULES between @RondaRousey & @QoSBaszler THIS SATURDAY at #SummerSlam!
📍 DETROIT
🎟️ https://t.co/8jJD4Qj6gn pic.twitter.com/FtDc5PSvaF— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2023
