Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will come out of retirement to fight each other on May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The bout was announced on Tuesday and will be staged by Most Valuable Promotions, the combat sports promotion founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, with the event to be broadcast on Netflix.
Rousey, 39, has not competed since 2016, while Carano, 43, last fought in 2009, ending an eight-fight career. The pair will meet at 145lb over five five-minute rounds. Despite their lengthy absences, both remain iconic figures in mixed martial arts history, with Carano having helped bring the once-outlawed sport to mainstream television and Rousey having played a key role in its acceptance by UFC president Dana White.
Rousey (12-2), who won an Olympic judo medal in 2008, became one of the sport's biggest stars, winning the UFC's first women's bout in 2013 and claiming the bantamweight title. She still holds the promotion's record for title defences with six, but her career stalled after consecutive losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, prompting moves into acting, professional wrestling and motherhood.
"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. "This is for all MMA fans past, present and future." Carano (7-1), who fought in the first Nevada-sanctioned women's MMA bout in 2006, was stopped by Cris "Cyborg" Justino in her final fight in August 2009 before turning to acting. "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 honour."
Carano, who turns 44 in April, landed prominent film roles and appeared in Disney's "The Mandalorian" before her contract was not renewed in 2021 after she expressed right-wing views on social media. She later settled a lawsuit against Lucasfilm and Disney over her dismissal. Most Valuable Promotions will make its first foray into MMA promotion after four years of boxing events.
