Two of mixed martial arts’ most recognisable pioneers, Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, will come out of retirement to face each other in a highly anticipated bout scheduled for May 16 in California.
The fight will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood and will be promoted by Most Valuable Promotions, a combat sports company founded by boxer and influencer Jake Paul and his business partner Nakisa Bidarian. The event is set to stream on Netflix.
Rousey, 39, has not competed since 2016, while Carano, 43, last fought in 2009. The matchup will be contested at 66kg over five five-minute rounds.
Both fighters are widely credited with helping shape the global rise of women’s MMA. Carano became one of the sport’s first mainstream television stars and competed in the first Nevada-sanctioned women’s MMA fight in 2006. She later stepped away after a 2009 defeat to Cris Cyborg.
Rousey, an Olympic judo medallist, went on to become one of MMA’s biggest global names. She headlined the first women’s fight in the UFC in 2013, winning the bantamweight title and defending it six times before back-to-back losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes ended her career.
In a statement, Carano said the comeback fight had long been a shared ambition, describing it as meaningful both personally and for the broader MMA community.
Following their retirements, both athletes transitioned into entertainment careers, with Rousey entering professional wrestling and acting, while Carano appeared in film and television.
The upcoming bout is expected to draw global attention as a historic meeting between two figures who played key roles in bringing women’s mixed martial arts into the mainstream.
