Sports Illustrated confirms another Ronda Rousey appearance in swimsuit issue

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will appear in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue for the second straight year.

The news was confirmed on SportsIllustrated.com Thursday after the issues editor had hinted at the possibility earlier in the week on social media.

Rousey will appear in the issue, which hits newsstands in February, wearing a body-painted swimsuit.

MJ Day, the editor of the swimsuit issue, previously posted a photo from Rousey's shoot on Instagram. The image showed the fighter from behind and didn't reveal her face. A tattoo on Rousey's right wrist was visible, however, making her identifiable.

Rousey, who lost the belt to Holly Holm in November, was expected to get a rematch at UFC 200 on July 9 in Las Vegas. However, UFC officials announced Wednesday Holm would fight before that date against another challenger.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj