That paved the way for a move to the world of wrestling with the WWE, who she’s reportedly on the verge of leaving.

Talk of Rousey, 36, making a stunning return to the octagon has ramped up following the retirement of former 135 and 145lbs champion Nunes.

And former Invicta FC star Chelsea Chandler claims to have first-hand knowledge of Rowdy training to make her cage comeback at featherweight.

During the UFC Vegas 77 media day, she said: “There really is no bantamweight champion, but I’ve been hearing that Ronda is coming back.

“I heard she’s coming back at 45. So, you never know.

“If I go out there and put on the performance I plan on putting, I’ll welcome her to the 45 [division].”

The prospect of Rousey returning to the UFC is something Chandler relishes – and she more than fancies her chances against the Hall-of-Famer.

She continued: “I think it would be a great fight.

“It has been a long time for her and things change.

“People get better, and I think people are over her one-trick Pony armbar.

“But, money talks, and she would bring eyes to the sport again, and I feel like her time in WWE is starting to go down. So I’d like to see it.”

Despite walking away from fighting without so much as a goodbye, Rousey admits she found it tough to hang up her gloves.

She said: “I think it was difficult [to quit] in both judo and MMA.

4Ronda Rousey admits she found it difficult to walk away from mixed martial artsCredit: AP

“In that everyone else felt that they wanted more from me.

“Like, in judo you peak in your mid-20s. I medaled at 21 so I was going to be 25 for the next Olympics.

Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, this is it! You’re going to be the first [American woman] to win an Olympic gold!’

“And I didn’t want it anymore, and I couldn’t do it for everybody else.

“And I think that’s a mistake that I made with MMA, was when I got to that point where I didn’t want it anymore, I kept doing it for everybody else.”