Former champion Ronda Rousey stays low-profile, but she’s the big draw for UFC 207

UFC President Dana White, excusing Ronda Rousey for being “psychotically competitive,” filled in for the former women’s bantamweight champion at a Wednesday news conference and said he expects “the old Ronda” in the octagon Friday night.

“If you look at the amount of press that’s been done by any fighter in UFC history, Ronda smokes everybody by a longshot,” White said. “This [pre-fight silence] is the way she wanted it. The only thing she cares about right now is focusing on winning.”

Rousey, 29, has not fought since her November 2015 second-round knockout loss by head kick to Holly Holm in Australia. Rousey (12-1) finally returns to the octagon in the UFC 207 main event at T-Mobile Arena against new champion Amanda Nunes (13-4) of Brazil.

Because Rousey begged off typical press commitments, the UFC allowed Nunes to skip Wednesday’s session too.

White called it a “one-and-done” agreement for Rousey’s absence after he kicked popular Conor McGregor off the main event of July’s UFC 200 for skipping a pre-fight news conference.

“Ronda’s done a lot of things for this company … major media that no one else could get,” White explained. “This is what she wanted, so we gave it to her. Ronda asked from the day this fight was made … so I said OK.”

Rousey’s absence was a topic for other fighters at Wednesday’s event. “I’m here doing my job. Maybe she’d rather not do it coming off a loss,” said bantamweight John Lineker. “Defeats serve a purpose. When we win, all we do is celebrate. We don’t really analyze what we did wrong like we do when we lose.”

Rousey remains incredibly popular and her comeback is the selling point to the UFC 207 promotion, though White conceded that hyping the bout without her voice is “definitely not ideal.

“Back in the day, Ronda would literally do anything we asked her to do. For her to ask for something like this, how can I say no? … But she’s one of the greats to ever do this sport. She’s done a lot for women. This is what she asked for.”

There’s been widespread speculation about Rousey’s state of mind, though, and whether she’s overcome the emotional burden of the Holm loss.

White said he’s been in daily communication with Rousey and insisted the former 135-pound champion is “ready to roll. She’s in a great mood. … As good as I’ve ever seen her. She’s in great spirits.”

Rousey’s loss to Holm has parallels to Mike Tyson’s stunning defeat by James “Buster” Douglas in Japan a generation ago. Tyson’s former promoter, Don King, foresaw warning signs before the Douglas bout that shed Tyson of his invincible aura. Tyson fought for another 15 years but never matched his earlier greatness in the ring and was knocked out in title bouts by Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.

“[The Douglas loss] was a heartbreaker. It was more than a loss, it was devastating to the mystique,” King said. “And then he started doing more unorthodox things.”

White laughed off a question on whether the new UFC ownership group WME-IMG, a Beverly Hills talent agency, was behind Rousey’s hiding act as a ploy to fuel intrigue and sales for the $59.95 pay-per-view telecast.

Rousey earlier this year said on the “Ellen” show that she was interested in fighting only a few more times.

The UFC has created a new 145-pound women’s featherweight division, with Holm fighting for the title Feb. 11 in New York. Should Holm and Rousey both win their fights, a featherweight-title rematch makes great sense.

Getting there will probably require Rousey to scrap her interest in striking that set up the Holm loss. Instead, Rousey may revert to the judo strengths that made her a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist and set up quick first-round victories over Cat Zingano and Alexis Davis, opponents who have stopped Nunes by technical knockout.

Despite some poor corner advice after Rousey was wobbled in the first round against Holm, trainer Edmond Tarverdyan was retained by Rousey. And the corner man has described Rousey’s physical condition as “world class” this training camp.

“No one was complaining about Edmond when she was on a record tear,” White said of Rousey winning 11 of her first 12 fights in the first round. “That’s her decision. She’s a grown woman and knows what she’s doing.”

UFC 207

When: Friday.

Television/times: 4:30 p.m. (first bouts on UFC Fight pass); 5 p.m. (Fox Sports 1 preliminary fights); 7 p.m. (pay-per-view, $59.95).

Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.

Main event: Amanda Nunes (13-4), Brazil, vs. Ronda Rousey (12-1), Venice, for Nunes’ UFC women’s bantamweight belt.

Undercard: Dominick Cruz (22-1) vs. Cody Garbrandt (10-0) for Cruz’s bantamweight belt; T.J. Dillashaw vs. John Lineker, bantamweights.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

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