Ronda Rousey to battle Gina Carano in return to MMA

Field Level Media|published: Tue 17th February, 11:17 2026

December 30, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Ronda Rousey leaves with her mother AnnMaria DeMars follwing her loss against Amanda Nunes during UFC 207 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Ronda Rousey will return to mixed-martial arts for the first time in nearly a decade when she challenges Gina Carano on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

Rousey (12-2), the inaugural UFC bantamweight champion, and the trailblazing Carano (7-1) will do battle at 145 pounds in a bout streamed live on Netflix, Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions announced Tuesday. The contest is a five-round bout with standard 5-minute rounds and 4-ounce gloves.

"MVP has always been driven by disruption and delivering the biggest moments in combat sports on a global scale, and today we are officially bringing that energy to MMA for the first time," Paul said.

"Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are the two most formative figures in the history of women's MMA. They are the icons who shattered the glass ceiling and helped build the foundation this sport stands on."

Rousey, 39, retired from MMA in 2016 and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018. She later competed in World Wrestling Entertainment from 2018-22.

"Been waiting so long to announce this: Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest super fight in women's combat sport history!" Rousey said. "And we're partnering with the fighter-first promotion MVP as well as the biggest and baddest streamer on the planet Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present and future. More to come... much more."

Carano, 43, retired from MMA following her loss to Cris Cyborg in 2009 and tried her hand as an actress.

"Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for and it has been her dream to make this fight happen between us," Carano said. "She thanked me for opening up doors for her in her career and was respectful in asking for this fight to happen. This is an honor. I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win and I anticipate it will not come easy, which I welcome. This is as much for Ronda and me as it is for the fans and mixed martial arts community. What a time to be alive."

--Field Level Media

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