Dan Hardy thinks the UFC could have a pretty wild succession plan waiting in the wings, and it involves none other than Ronda Rousey. The former UFC fighter believes ‘Rowdy’ could eventually make a run at becoming the face of the UFC if Dana White decides his time in MMA is coming to an end. And judging by his comments, he wouldn’t be shocked if Rousey is already positioning herself for that kind of role.

“I was kind of getting the vibe that Ronda [Rousey] was going to be gunning for the UFC face job at some point in the future,” he told Submission Radio. “We’ll see how that plays out. I could see Ronda going for it.”

The UFC analyst’s theory comes as Dana White has increasingly spread his attention beyond the UFC, particularly with Power Slap and Zuffa Boxing.’The Outlaw’ feels MMA may simply not offer the UFC CEO the same challenge it once did and thinks a fresh voice could eventually be what the promotion needs.

“I still think we need some more promotion,” he said. “I just maybe think we need a fresh voice. I think maybe Dana’s time in mixed martial arts has passed. Maybe if he crosses over to boxing now and lets somebody else take his place.”

Hardy also threw Hunter Campbell’s name into the mix as another possible option, though he was quick to admit that he doesn’t know the UFC executive well enough to make a strong call.

“I don’t know if it’s Hunter, though. I’ve not really spoken to him much,” he continued.

‘The Outlaw’ then got into why he thinks White’s relationship with MMA has changed over the years. Hardy knows that old-school UFC grind firsthand. He fought 10 times inside the Octagon before Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome syndrome cut his career short, later moving into commentary before leaving his UFC role in 2021. He is now Head of Fighter Operations for PFL Europe.

The analyst remembers a version of Dana White who was completely invested in making the UFC work. According to him, the UFC boss wasn’t just running the promotion; he was fighting to prove the whole thing could succeed.

“I’m thankful that I got that version of Dana because he was a fan just like everybody else,” Dan Hardy said. “But he was driven to make it successful because he had gone out on a limb with some money that his friends had backed him with, and he believed in the product.”

And that UFC was a very different beast from the one fans see today. Back then, selling a fight wasn’t nearly as easy, and Hardy believes that struggle was a huge part of what kept White pushing.

“It was a difficult thing to push because of the time,” he added. “Imagine him trying to launch Power Slap at the same time. It just wouldn’t have happened. The struggle against UFC was very real, and that’s part of what drove him. I think now it’s become almost too easy, hasn’t it really?

The promoting side of the UFC—you don’t even have to really announce a card before the tickets are almost gone in some instances. I don’t know whether he’s lost a bit of the hunger for that because the promoting is not necessarily that difficult anymore. I think he likes a challenge, and I don’t think MMA is a challenge for him anymore. He’s kind of conquered it, hasn’t he?”

There’s also been some pretty clear evidence that Dana White’s role inside the UFC has changed over the years. During proceedings tied to the Cirkunov v. Zuffa class action lawsuit, the UFC CEO was asked about how the promotion handles matchmaking, and his answer showed just how much he has stepped away from some of the responsibilities he once handled himself.

“Since Hunter Campbell came in, I don’t really do that anymore,” White said when discussing the UFC matchmakers.

The UFC boss’s growing focus on Zuffa Boxing has been hard to miss too. He skipped UFC Sydney while attending a Zuffa Boxing event, and things got even more awkward ahead of this weekend’s UFC 332 when White appeared to mix up the records of the fighters involved.

While announcing the UFC 332 main event, the head honcho mistakenly credited Wang Cong with wins over Rose Namajunas, Jéssica Andrade, and Alexa Grasso—victories that actually belong to her opponent, Natalia Silva.

It’s another small sign that White’s attention may not be solely locked on the UFC anymore. Then there’s Power Slap, which has become another major project keeping him busy outside MMA. And if Dan Hardy is right about a potential successor, Rousey certainly wouldn’t be a random name.

‘Rowdy’ remains one of the biggest stars the UFC has ever produced and returned to MMA earlier this year, submitting Gina Carano with an armbar in just seconds. The fight marked the 29-year-old’s first appearance since her loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207.

That doesn’t mean Ronda Rousey has always been on the same page as the UFC. She has previously gone after the promotion over issues including fighter pay and its business decisions. Still, despite those criticisms, her relationship with Dana White has remained surprisingly close, which could make Hardy’s theory about her future with the promotion all the more interesting.

Ronda Rousey’s recent history with the UFC could make the move complicated

While Dan Hardy sees Ronda Rousey as a potential future face of the UFC, her recent relationship with the promotion could make that path a little more complicated.

‘Rowdy’ was briefly in talks with the UFC over a potential return against Carano, but those negotiations eventually fell apart after talks with UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell broke down. What began as a comeback fight the 39-year-old had reportedly pitched as a gesture of loyalty to White ultimately turned into a very public dispute between the former champion and the promotion.

The UFC legend didn’t hold back when she later appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show, taking aim at Campbell over how the negotiations were handled. She claimed Campbell was dismissive from the start, questioning how the UFC could market “a couple of 40-year-olds.”

She also accused him of trying to make both fighters undervalue themselves during the negotiations and claimed he spoke about fighters as if they were part of “glorified bum fights.“

But Ronda Rousey’s frustration wasn’t limited to her own comeback talks. She also took aim at the UFC’s treatment of fighters, arguing that athletes lower down the roster can end up living in poverty despite training full-time.

Rousey also pointed to fighters needing outside sources of income, including OnlyFans, while arguing that the UFC’s massive financial growth has not translated into what she considers fair compensation for its athletes.

Those views could make a future leadership role within the UFC a little messy, particularly with Hunter Campbell still holding a prominent position inside the organization. After all, the 39-year-old has publicly criticized the very people she could potentially have to work alongside.

For now, though, Dana Hardy’s idea is just that: an intriguing possibility. Dana White remains firmly in charge of the UFC while continuing to build his boxing and Power Slap ventures, and Ronda Rousey has given no public indication that she is actively pursuing an executive or promotional role with the company.

But if the head honcho ever does decide to step away from MMA, and ‘Rowdy’ really is positioning herself for a bigger role, Hardy may have just given fans a glimpse at one of the UFC’s most unexpected possible futures.