Tony Khan made clear at the Revolution post-show media scrum that Ronda Rousey’s arrival in AEW is not a one-off. The AEW President spoke warmly about his relationship with the UFC Hall of Famer and confirmed that AEW will have a presence at her upcoming MMA return on May 16th.
Khan explained that Rousey’s appearance at Revolution was set up through her friendship with Marina Shafir. “Ronda is a really good friend of Marina Shafir, and Marina brought her in as backup,” Khan said. He also noted that this is not the first time he has worked with Rousey. “Ronda wrestled in ROH. We had a great match a few years ago, also in Los Angeles. It was Ronda and Marina teaming up in ROH against Billie Starkz and the World Champion Athena. I thought it was fantastic.”
Khan Invited to Rousey’s MMA Return, Says AEW Will Be There
Khan confirmed that Rousey personally invited him to her first MMA fight since UFC 207 — a bout against Gina Carano at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. “Ronda’s always been very good to me. She’s got a big fight coming up against Gina Carano. I wish her the best.” When asked if AEW would have a presence at the event, Khan confirmed they would. “Ronda’s always welcome here and anybody from AEW that wants to attend that fight is welcome to do so. Ronda may invite some people. Ronda invited me to the fight tonight. Sounds like we’re gonna be there.”
Marina Shafir has also confirmed she will be in attendance for Rousey’s MMA return. Rousey’s last MMA bout was at UFC 207 in December 2016, where she was knocked out by Amanda Nunes.