Sylvester Stallone: Ronda Rousey, Victor Ortiz in next ‘Expendables’

Sylvester Stallone announced on his Twitter account that Ultimate Fighting Championship star Ronda Rousey and former welterweight boxing champion Victor Ortiz will appear in the third “The Expendables” film.

Rousey, scheduled to defend her women’s bantamweight belt for the second time Dec. 28 against Miesha Tate, reportedly signed with the talent agency William Morris this year.

Ortiz, who hasn’t fought since getting his jaw broken in a June 2012 loss to Josesito Lopez at Staples Center, recently performed on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.”

“Expendables 3” is aiming for an August 2014 release, according to IMDB. The series has starred Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Jackie Chan, Dolph Lundgren, former UFC champion Randy Couture and Steven Seagal in the past.

The franchise has generated more than $180 million in ticket sales.

UFC President Dana White, who previously decried UFC fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson for shooting “The A Team,” with a fight scheduled, told The Times in a text message Wednesday he approves of Rousey’s participation.

“Yup, I’m in,” White said.

Stallone, on Twitter, set up his announcement of Rousey by asking, “Who is the newest, maybe toughest, female on the planet?”

Rousey, from Venice, is unbeaten in mixed martial arts after opening her UFC career in February with a thrilling first-round armbar submission of Liz Carmouche at Honda Center.

Ortiz, from Ventura, is 29-4-2. After defeating Andre Berto to win the World Boxing Council welterweight belt in 2011, Ortiz was knocked out by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the fourth round five months later, after being slow to react to the resumption of the fight following an Ortiz head butt.

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