Ronda Rousey Marine Corps ball
Ronda Rousey kept her promise and went with Lance Cpl. Jarrod Haschert to the Marine Corps Ball in South Carolina. Pictured: Rousey at the Hollywood premiere of "The Expendables 3," Aug. 11, 2014. Getty Images

Ronda Rousey has a reason to smile again, and is thanking Lance Cpl. Jarrod Haschert for it. The 28-year-old MMA fighter has been down in the dumps since her mid-November UFC 193 upset loss to Holly Holm, but she put that behind her and went with Haschert to the Marine Corps Ball in South Carolina as promised.

"Thank you Lance Cpl. Jarrod Haschert for taking me to the Marine Corps Ball, being such a gentleman, and putting a smile on my face again," Rousey captioned an Instagram photo of her and the Marine.

According to ESPN, Haschert said last week that he wasn't sure if the MMA fighter was going to make it, but she didn't back out.

"After the fight, she never hesitated for a second whether or not she was going to attend," a source told ESPN. "She made a promise to a Marine and was going to keep that promise. It was as simple as that. That's Ronda."

Supposedly, Rousey's camp wanted to keep her attendance at the event under wraps, but several photos of her posing with the Marines and their dates surfaced Friday night.

Rousey's outing follows news that her rematch with Holm has been set for next summer. UFC president Dana White confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that the bout will happen July 9 at UFC 200 in Las Vegas.

White said he's been talking with Rousey every day since her defeat and thinks she will be ready for the rematch. Holm's manager, Lenny Fresquez, however, told the outlet Rousey should wait a bit longer before stepping into the ring again.

“I’m not sure Ronda will be ready for a July fight,” he said. “She took a severe beating, and I don’t think it’s in her best interest to take the next fight so fast."

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