WEDNESDAY NEWS DIGEST 2/22: Ronda Rousey’s next appearance won’t be in an UFC Octagon, Yamasaki on slow stoppage (w/Hiscoe’s Analysis)

By Mike Hiscoe, MMATorch contributor

Amanda Nunes punching Ronda Rousey (photo credit Mark J. Rebilas © USA Today Sports)

The next time you see Ronda Rousey on your TV, it won’t be inside a UFC cage.

Rousey will be appearing in a guest role on NBC drama “Blindspot” this spring. The episode is currently scheduled to air in May and Rousey will play the role of Devon Penberthy “a female prison inmate who grew up in a working class family from the White Mountains of New Hampshire… She is a tough, athletic woman who knows how to fight and handle a weapon.”

“Blindspot” currently in its second season, tells the story of a woman whose tattoos hold the secrets to unsolved crimes. It airs Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC.

Rousey has been quiet since her 48 second loss to Amanda Nunes in December at UFC 207. After Rousey’s first loss in November of 2015, she also laid very low before resurfacing for an appearance on NBC’s Saturday Night Live in January 2016.

Rousey has some screen acting experience in action roles having previously appeared in “Expendables 3” alongside Sylvester Stallone in 2014. Rousey had been linked to other movie roles during the height of her MMA dominance, such as a “Roadhouse” remake, but those projects appear to have stalled.

Often secretive about her immediate plans, it remains to be seen whether this role will mark a more permanent move towards acting, or if she plans to fight again.

 

Hiscoe’s Analysis: I’m not sure of the timing of when she signed on for the role but this could be a way for Rousey to ease herself back into the spotlight as she did last year with the SNL appearance. It’s also possible that she signed on for this a while back and the timing doesn’t mean much. The movie offers seem to have dried up a bit for her compared to a couple years ago, but if she does well in this minor appearance, and if it can make for a bump in the ratings, it may open things up for her again. She may be undecided about her fighting future, but if acting opportunities start presenting themselves, it may make the decision for her.

WEDNESDAY NOTEBOOK ITEMS…

-Derrick Lewis posted a video to his Instagram account and shared that he broke his foot in his win against Travis Browne on Sunday.

-Mario Yamasaki, who reffed the Lewis-Browne fight, commented on what many say was a late stoppage and admitted that to be the case. He told MMA Fighting that his reaction time was a little slow which allowed Lewis to land two extra punches after Yamasaki knew the fight was over. “I should have stopped it a little earlier,” he said.

-Dominick Cruz will join Jon Anik and Joe Rogan on commentary for UFC 209 on March 4. Daniel Cormier was part of the three-man booth for UFC 208 but is now training for his April title defense against Anthony Johnson. (SOURCE)

NOW CHECK OUT YESTERDAY’S UPDATE: TUESDAY NEWS DIGEST 2/21: GSP’s coach pinpoints two specific opponents he’d like to see face GSP on his return (w/Hiscoe’s Analysis)


(MMATorch’s Daily News Digest features the top story of the day with added analysis, plus smaller tidbits in the News Notes section. Mike Hiscoe, who writes the News Digest Sundays through Thursdays, has a background in film criticism and previously wrote for the DVD Town and Movie Metropolis websites. His passion for Mixed Martial Arts goes back to 2005, but it was in the promotion for UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie that he really got hooked.”This is my house, I build it,” is still among the all-time great UFC promos. You can follow Mike on social media under the tag @mikehiscoe. He now provides his experienced writing and perspective on live MMA events for MMATorch.)

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