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When one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's two major pay-per-view draws, Conor McGregor, lost to Nate Diaz in March, he demanded an immediate rematch. He got his wish, avenged his loss, and enters 2017 a bigger star than ever. The UFC's other superstar has taken quite a different path following her first high-profile defeat.
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Ronda Rousey returns to the Octagon for the first time in 13 months on Friday night, where she'll meet current women's bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes of Brazil in the main event of UFC 207 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Rousey, of Venice, Calif., turned into a recluse following her devastating knockout loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in Australia. And while she has finally returned, Rousey has refused to do any media outside a few hand-picked, friendly outlets. She won't participate in traditional fight-week press and general public events and has even informed fans she won't sign autographs.
It's a curious road back to the top for Rousey, whose whims are being indulged by new UFC owners WME-IMG, a Hollywood agency which just happens to also have Rousey as a client. It's certainly within her right not to speak to anyone, but in a business where headliner fighter revenue is drawn by pay-per-view buys, a lack of last-minute hype isn't likely to fill anyone's coffers.
Nunes, for her part, has accused the UFC of coddling their cash cow.
"The UFC wants to make it easier for her," Nunes said. "So she doesn't feel like she's not the champion anymore. They want to make her feel like that, that she's not the second (to Nunes). They want to make me kind of the second to make her get stronger or something. I feel like they tried ... to promote her so she can be strong and see that. Like Ronda, Ronda Ronda, Ronda. But she knows she's the challenger; I'm the champion. Nobody can change it."
Nunes (13-4) is slowly becoming a star in spite of a near-negligent lack of promotional support from the UFC. The first openly LGBT mixed martial arts world champion is 6-1 in the UFC with five of her wins coming by finish. At UFC 200, she scored a shockingly one-sided first-round TKO over Miesha Tate to claim the title.
Perhaps that's why Rousey (12-1) is pushing away all the distractions. Rousey dominated the competition at 135 pounds for the first 4 1/2 years of her career, winning the Strikeforce and then UFC belts. She won 12 straight fights, 11 in the first round, before she was Holm completely picked her apart and knocked her cold with a kick to the head.
Knockout losses suffered by previously undefeated competitors are major forks in the road in a fighter's career. Some rebound while some never return to their old form. Facing an opponent with lethal finishing instincts in your first fight back only ups the ante more.
"I think if you don't know how to take a loss, for sure, it's gonna play with your head a little bit," Nunes said. "I really don't know what's going on with Ronda right now."
While that drama plays out, the evening's co-feature promises to be an entertaining affair. San Diego's Dominick Cruz (22-1) will defend his UFC men's bantamweight belt against undefeated Cody Garbrandt (10-0) of Sacramento.
Cruz has won 12 straight fights dating back to 2008, which includes a stretch of two years lost to knee injuries, Garbrandt has won nine of his 10 fights by knockout.
For his part, Cruz seems annoyed by Garbrandt, who is trained by Cruz's biggest career rival, Urijah Faber. Garbrandt has trolled Cruz at every opportunity on television and on social media.
"This guy loves the limelight," Cruz said. "He loves attention. Look at him, he's just begging for attention in everything he does. He wants attention, attention, attention."
This week, at least, the same can't be said for Rousey.
