Two women who built women's MMA are finally fighting each other
Two women who helped build the foundation of modern mixed martial arts are stepping back into the arena after years away — Ronda Rousey after nearly a decade, Gina Carano after nearly two. Their May 16 meeting at Intuit Dome is less a sporting event than a reckoning with legacy, a chance for pioneers to revisit the ground they broke and, perhaps, to settle something that history never quite resolved. Promoted by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions and carried on Netflix, the fight arrives at a moment when women's combat sports and mainstream entertainment are once again reaching toward each other.
- Two icons who reshaped women's MMA — separated by years of silence, divergent careers, and unfinished narratives — are finally being placed across from each other in a cage.
- The combined ring rust is staggering: Rousey hasn't competed since 2016, Carano since 2009, raising urgent questions about whether either fighter can still perform at a meaningful competitive level.
- Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions is betting its entire MMA debut on the gravitational pull of two retired legends, a high-stakes gamble that bypasses the sport's active contenders in favor of nostalgia and star power.
- Netflix's involvement transforms the bout from a niche comeback story into a mainstream cultural event, extending the platform's aggressive push into live sports content.
- The fight is landing as a symbolic moment — Carano publicly crediting Rousey for opening doors in her career, Rousey framing the bout as a gift to the sport's entire community, past and future.
Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano announced Tuesday they will come out of retirement to face each other on May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Promoted by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions and broadcast on Netflix, the bout is being billed by both fighters as the most significant women's combat sports event ever staged.
The absences involved are remarkable. Rousey, 39, last competed in 2016. Carano, 43, has been away from competition since 2009 — nearly two decades. Yet both remain defining figures in the sport's history. Carano fought in the first Nevada-sanctioned women's MMA bout in 2006 and helped pull mixed martial arts toward mainstream broadcast audiences. Rousey, an Olympic judo medalist, became the face of women's fighting after the UFC built its women's division around her. She won the promotion's inaugural women's bout in 2013, claimed the bantamweight title, and defended it six times — a record that still stands.
Both careers eventually bent away from competition. Rousey stepped back after consecutive losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, turning toward acting, professional wrestling, and family. Carano pursued film and television, most notably joining the cast of Disney's "The Mandalorian" before her contract was not renewed in 2021 following controversial social media posts. She later settled a lawsuit against Lucasfilm and Disney over her departure.
The fight is scheduled for five five-minute rounds at 145 pounds. Rousey framed her return as a tribute to the sport's community across generations. Carano said Rousey approached her personally, telling her she was the only fighter worth coming back for — and that making this fight happen had long been Rousey's dream. Carano expressed gratitude for the doors Rousey helped open, while also making clear she intends to win.
For Most Valuable Promotions, this marks a first step into MMA after four years of boxing promotion — and the company is entering the space with the same star-driven, mainstream-facing strategy that has defined Jake Paul's boxing ventures. Whether Rousey and Carano can still compete at a meaningful level after such long absences is an open question. What is not in question is that their names, and the history they carry, are more than enough to command attention.
Two of the most consequential figures in mixed martial arts history are coming out of retirement to fight each other. Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano announced Tuesday that they will meet on May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, in what both fighters are calling the biggest women's combat sports showdown ever staged. The bout will be promoted by Most Valuable Promotions, the combat sports company run by boxer-turned-influencer Jake Paul and his business partner Nakisa Bidarian, and will air on Netflix.
Rousey, now 39, has not stepped into a cage since 2016. Carano, 43, has been away even longer—her last fight was in 2009, making her absence from competition nearly two decades. Yet both remain towering figures in the sport's history, each having fundamentally altered what women's MMA could be. Carano fought in the first Nevada-sanctioned women's MMA bout in 2006 and became a television draw in the sport's early days, helping drag mixed martial arts into mainstream broadcast. Rousey, an Olympic judo medalist from 2008, became the face of women's fighting after Dana White and the UFC built their women's division around her. She won the promotion's first-ever women's bout in 2013, claimed the bantamweight title, and defended it six times—a record she still holds. Her signature armbar finishes and magnetic presence in the cage made her arguably the biggest star in all of MMA at her peak.
Rousey's career trajectory shifted sharply after back-to-back losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes derailed her dominance. She pivoted to acting, professional wrestling, and family life, stepping away from the sport entirely. Carano's path diverged differently. After her loss to Cris Justino in 2009, she pursued an acting career, landing roles in films and eventually joining the cast of Disney's "The Mandalorian." That tenure ended in 2021 when Disney did not renew her contract following social media posts expressing right-wing political views. Carano later settled a lawsuit against Lucasfilm and Disney over her firing.
The fight will take place at 145 pounds over five five-minute rounds. In her statement, Rousey framed the comeback as a moment for the sport's entire community. "Been waiting so long to announce this," she said. "This is for all MMA fans past, present and future." Carano's response suggested the matchup carried personal weight as well. She said Rousey approached her directly, telling her that Carano was the only fighter she would return for, and that making this fight happen had been Rousey's dream. Carano acknowledged Rousey's gratitude for opening doors in her career and expressed confidence in her own chances, saying she anticipated a difficult fight but believed she would leave with the win.
This comeback marks a significant moment for Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions, which has spent four years promoting boxing events. This is the company's first venture into MMA promotion. The decision to build that entry point around two retired legends and broadcast it on Netflix signals the kind of mainstream, star-driven approach Paul has pursued throughout his boxing career. Whether Rousey and Carano can still perform at a competitive level after such lengthy absences remains an open question. What is certain is that their names alone carry enough weight to draw attention to women's combat sports at a moment when the mainstream appetite for such events appears to be growing.
Notable Quotes
This is for all MMA fans past, present and future.— Ronda Rousey
This is an honor. I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win and I anticipate it will not come easy, which I welcome.— Gina Carano
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter that these two specific fighters are coming back now, rather than, say, five years ago?
Because they're not just any retired fighters—they're the two women who built the foundation that women's MMA stands on. Carano opened the door. Rousey walked through it and made the whole world watch. Bringing them back together is like a conversation between two eras of the sport.
But they've been gone for so long. Rousey since 2016, Carano since 2009. Can they even compete at a high level anymore?
That's the real question nobody knows the answer to yet. They're not young—Rousey is 39, Carano is 43. But the sport has changed too. The level of competition is different now. It's not about whether they can win; it's about whether they can show up and be credible.
What does Jake Paul's involvement tell us about where combat sports are heading?
It tells you that the money and the audience are following the stars, not the traditional power structures anymore. Paul built his boxing empire by making it about personality and spectacle. Now he's trying the same thing with MMA. Netflix is betting on it too.
Carano had that whole controversy with Disney. Does that complicate the narrative here?
It's part of her story, but it's not what this fight is about. She settled her lawsuit. She's been mostly out of the public eye since then. This comeback is her chance to be known for something else—for being a fighter again, not a controversy.
Do you think they actually believe they can win, or is this just nostalgia?
Carano said she believes she'll walk out with the win. Rousey framed it as something bigger than victory—a moment for the fans and the sport. Maybe both things are true. Maybe you can want to win and also want to be part of something historic at the same time.