Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey is set to return to mixed martial arts after nearly a decade away. She will face pioneering fighter Gina Carano in a blockbuster featherweight clash on May 16, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), the event marks the company’s debut in professional MMA and will stream live globally on Netflix.
This dream matchup will reunite two icons who shaped the sport. Rousey, now 39, last fought in MMA in 2016, while Carano, 43, retired in 2009. The bout will follow Unified Rules of MMA, contested over five 5-minute rounds at 145 pounds with 4-ounce gloves inside a hexagon cage.
Ronda Rousey’s dominant legacy and path back
Ronda Rousey burst onto the scene as the first woman signed to the UFC, becoming its inaugural women’s bantamweight champion in 2013. She defended the title a record six times, often finishing fights quickly with her signature armbar. From her pro debut in 2011 to 2015, 11 of her first 12 bouts ended in the first round, including three under a minute.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
After losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, Rousey stepped away from MMA. She thrived in WWE as a three-time world champion from 2018 to 2022, wrote a bestselling book, and starred in films like The Fast & the Furious series. Inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018, she remains a trailblazer who elevated women’s MMA visibility.
Gina Carano’s pioneering role and long-awaited return
Gina Carano, widely seen as a founder of women’s MMA, competed from 2006 to 2009 with a 7-1 record. Her 2009 loss to Cris Cyborg in the inaugural Strikeforce women’s 145-pound title fight marked her last MMA appearance.
Post-retirement, Carano built a successful acting career in movies such as Haywire, Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool, and the series The Mandalorian.
“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 easily, 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.”
