Ronda Rousey vs. Bethe Correia Confirmed for UFC 190 in Brazil

UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey's next challenge will be undefeated Brazilian Bethe Correia, Guilherme Cruz of MMAFighting.com reported Thursday, citing multiple sources. Brazilian news site Tatame (in Portuguese) first reported the news. 

UFC 190 is booked for August 1 and is expected to take place at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, per Cruz.

Correia (9-0) has had an ongoing rivalry with Rousey since raining on the 2014 parade for the champ's "Four Horsewomen" stable, which also included The Ultimate Fighter season 18's Shayna Baszler and Jessamyn Duke, as well as fellow judoka Marina Shafir.

At UFC 172, Correia bested Duke by decision, and jokingly flashed the group's signature hand gesture. This led to a bout with Baszler at UFC 177, who she would beat via second-round knockout.

While the team hasn't made headlines in a good, long while, Rousey hasn't forgotten that disrespect. Speaking at a UFC 189 press event Friday, the champ vowed revenge against the Brazilian.

"In order to get a title shot as quickly as possible, she disrespected my friends, which I consider my family," she said. "And if you f--k with my family, you are f----d." 

Correia's jeering Rousey at every opportunity and the pro wrestling story angle has added appeal to what many are viewing as a likely slam-dunk win for Rousey. Bleacher Report's Jeremy Botter recently detailed how Rousey vs. Correia  is "Best for Business," saying:

"

Is Correia deserving of a fight with Rousey? From an athletic perspective, absolutely not...despite that likely outcome, Correia is still the right choice for Rousey's next opponent. Why? Because she plays the game, and she will continue to do so. She'll continue to talk trash right up until the fight starts. 

"

While Rousey vs. Correia is a compelling matchup, there is no denying that "Pitbull" isn't the Brazilian striker fans wanted to see get a shot at the UFC strap.

The MMA universe, of course, has been pulling for former Strikeforce champion and current Invicta FC champion Cris "Cyborg" Justino. While there were plenty of hints that a Rousey vs. Cyborg superfight was close to becoming a reality ahead of Rousey's last title defense, it appears that dream will have to wait for now.