The retirement comebacks nobody saw coming are about to set the MMA world ablaze. The Ronda Rousey Netflix bout against Gina Carano stepped into the spotlight Tuesday, with both legends promoting their blockbuster return clash set for 16th May at the Intuit Dome.
Rousey didn’t mince words about the magnitude of this showdown: “This is the biggest fight in MMA right now. There are no two people in this sport with more international name recognition than me and Gina — except Conor [McGregor], but no one is going to sanction that.”
Pioneers Return to Challenge the Status Quo
Both women blazed trails when women’s MMA was finding its feet. Carano became the sport’s first major television star in the 2000s, whilst Rousey’s raw talent convinced the UFC brass to finally create women’s divisions in the 2010s. However, the sport moved on, and so did they — into Hollywood careers after their cage abilities couldn’t match their star power.
Carano, who turns 44 next month, hasn’t stepped foot in a cage since 2009. The 39-year-old Rousey last competed in 2016 before having two children. Consequently, neither truly walked away from the fight game.
Rousey Netflix Fight Born from UFC Frustration
“We only get to live once, and this makes me feel so alive,” said Carano, who also revealed she’s married longtime partner and Muay Thai fighter Kevin Ross.
Furthermore, this bout has been whispered about for years, but it nearly didn’t happen. Rousey wanted her comeback on UFC’s final pay-per-view card but binned their financial offer.
“This is the only fight I wanted to come back for, the only fight that can inspire me like that,” Rousey explained. She proposed the fight to Carano over a year ago whilst still pregnant.
Most importantly, Rousey didn’t hold back when discussing the UFC’s corporate stranglehold: “Now it’s become about changing the entire landscape of the sport and challenging the monolith that the UFC has become.” She maintains love for Dana White but slammed the promotion’s corporate overlords for throttling fighter pay.
Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions is handling the Netflix show, though Rousey emphasised her heavy involvement in promotional duties. The bout runs five five-minute rounds at Steve Ballmer’s lavish new arena.
In addition, the card gets extra heavyweight firepower with Francis Ngannou facing 40-year-old Philipe Lins. The 39-year-old Ngannou secured his Professional Fighters League release last week after just one appearance — a first-round TKO of Renan Ferreira in October 2024.
