So much for Holly Holm knocking Rousey off her pedestal. Holm may have won the title belt from Rousey and blemished her perfect UFC record, but Ronda is still the superstar she was before her crushing upset in Australia.
After a little time out of the spotlight, she's coming back in full force. Saturday Night Live announced Rousey will host the January 23 show with musical guest Selena Gomez.
Excited to kick off 2016 with Adam Driver, @ChrisStapleton, @RondaRousey and @selenagomez! #SNL pic.twitter.com/J346nqL81z
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) January 5, 2016
Rousey joins a long, respectable line of athletes who have hosted SNL, and her appearance is a significant accomplishment. She'll be the first MMA fighter to host the long-running show, and she'll be the first female to join the ranks of athletes like Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan, all of whom have hosted in the past.
Athletes typically struggle on the SNL stage, but the writers often have fun fitting them into inventive sketches. One thing Rousey has going for her: With her acting career poised for takeoff, she should have the chops to hang better than most of the athletes before her.
At any rate, she'll be hosting in the same season as Donald Trump, so expectations are not exactly through the roof.