Ronda Rousey Opens as Betting Favorite Against Bantamweight Champ Amanda Nunes

It’s been nearly a year since Ronda Rousey last appeared in the Octagon, but oddsmakers still like the Olympic judoka against UFC bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes.

At -205, Rousey has opened as slightly more than a 2-to-1 favorite in the UFC 207 headliner, according to online sportsbook Bovada. Nunes, meanwhile, is the underdog at +160. Those odds are subject to change as their 135-pound title bout draws near.

Rousey vs. Nunes was announced on Wednesday as the headliner for UFC 207, which takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 30. Rousey hasn’t competed since suffering a second-round knockout loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in Melbourne this past November. She began her professional career with 12 straight wins, with all but one coming inside of a round.

Rousey has typically been a much heavier favorite during her UFC tenure, often checking in as high as -1500 for her Octagon appearances. For example, “Rowdy” opened as a -1250 favorite against Holm before her upset loss last year.

Nunes, meanwhile, enters her first title defense on a four-fight winning streak. “Lioness” captured the strap with a first-round submission of Miesha Tate at UFC 200 and is 6-1 thus far during her promotional tenure.