Former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is all set to make a historic return into mixed martial arts (MMA) for the first time in nearly 10 years. She will face fellow combat sports pioneer Gina Carano on May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The highly anticipated clash will headline the first-ever professional MMA event promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. The event will be streamed live worldwide on Netflix, marking a major crossover moment for MMA broadcasting. The matchup brings together two of the most influential figures in women’s MMA history, making it one of the most talked-about combat sports events of the year.— RondaRousey (@RondaRousey)
Rousey and Carano will compete in a 145-pound bout (featherweight) that will be fully sanctioned and governed by the Unified Rules of MMA. The fight is reportedly scheduled for five rounds, each lasting five minutes, with both athletes wearing standard 4-ounce gloves. The contest will take place inside a hexagon-shaped cage.
“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 was quoted as saying by ESPN. “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.”— netflixsports (@netflixsports)
WHO IS RONDA ROUSEY?
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Ronda Rousey (12-2; 3 KOs, 9 submissions) is one of the most important figures in women’s combat sports history. In 2008, she became the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in judo. Her success helped open doors far beyond the Olympics. Before joining the UFC, Rousey fought in Strikeforce, where she finished her run as the promotion’s final women’s bantamweight champion. She later made history by becoming the first woman ever signed by the UFC.
Rousey entered the UFC in 2013 and immediately took the sport by storm. She became the first UFC women’s bantamweight champion and dominated her opponents with ease. The submission specialist successfully defended her title six times in a row, a record that still stands. From 2011 to 2015, she won 11 of her first 12 professional fights in the first round, many using her trademark armbar submission. Three of those wins came in under one minute.At age 39, Rousey is remembered as a true game-changer. Her rise helped bring women’s MMA into the mainstream and inspired a new generation of fighters. Her reign ended in shocking fashion in 2015, when she lost the title to Holly Holm at UFC 193. She suffered a first-round knockout loss in 2016 to Amanda Nunes, which marked her final MMA fight.
Rousey later retired from MMA and transitioned to professional wrestling in 2018. That same year, she was honored with induction into the UFC Hall of Fame, recognizing her lasting impact on the sport. From 2018 to 2022, she competed in WWE, where she became a three-time world champion and found success in a new arena.
WILL CARANO GIVE A TOUGH FIGHT TO ROUSEY?
Gina Carano (7-1; 3 KOs, 1 submission) is widely seen as one of the early trailblazers of women’s mixed martial arts. From 2006 to 2009, she helped bring mainstream attention to women in the sport at a time when female fighters were rarely in the spotlight. Her charisma and fighting style made her one of MMA’s first crossover stars. Carano finished her professional MMA career with a 7-1 record. In 2009, she competed for the first-ever women’s 145-pound title in Strikeforce, facing Cris Cyborg. The fight ended in a TKO loss and became Carano’s final appearance inside the cage.
Now 43, Carano stepped away from MMA after that bout and shifted her focus to acting. She built a successful career in Hollywood, appearing in action films like Haywire, Fast & Furious 6, and Deadpool. She also gained a new generation of fans through her role in the TV series The Mandalorian.
For years, Carano has hinted at a possible return to fighting. That long wait is now over, as she prepares to end a 17-year retirement in what many fans see as a dream matchup between two icons of women’s MMA history.
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