Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will face off in an MMA fight for the first time on May 16.
Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix announced Tuesday an MMA event that will be headlined by Rousey and Carano. The event will be at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and will mark Netflix’s first-ever live MMA broadcast. Rousey and Carano will fight at featherweight at 145 pounds in a five 5-minute round bout.
Rousey has not fought in an MMA ring since her TKO loss to Amanda Nunes in December 2016 at UFC 207. Her last time in a pro wrestling ring was in November 2023 when she teamed with Marina Shafir to defeat Athena and Billie Starkz in Ring of Honor. Rousey admitted in 2024 that she retired from MMA and pro wrestling due to her history of concussions. However, in December 2025, it was rumored that Rousey and Katie Taylor were in negotiations for a boxing match. Rousey has said in the past that Carano would be the opponent who would entice her to go back into MMA, and May 16 would mark the first bout between the two icons of the sport.
“Been waiting so long to announce this,” Rousey told Netflix in a press release. “Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest superfight in women’s combat sport history, and we’re partnering with the fighter-first promoter, MVP, as well as the baddest streamer on the planet, Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present, and future.”
In the same press release, Carano added: “Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for, and it’s been her dream to make this fight happen between us.”
Along with an Olympic medal in judo, Rousey owns a 12-2 record in MMA. Carano is 7-1 in her career and has not fought since her TKO loss to Cris Cyborg in 2009 at Strikeforce.
