LOS ANGELES -- Ronda Rousey is back. And she’s bringing a fellow MMA trailblazer with her.
Rousey, the former UFC bantamweight champion, will return to action for the first time in over nine years when she battles Gina Carano on May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, according to Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions in a press release.
The fight—which will be contested at 145 pounds—will headline MVP’s first-ever MMA event and be streamed live on Netfliix. The fight will be scheduled for five rounds, with the fighters using 4-ounce gloves.
“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. “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.”
Rousey (12-2) has not fought professionally since a first-round knockout loss to Amanda Nunes on Dec. 30, 2016, in a failed bid to regain the UFC bantamweight title. It was Rousey’s second consecutive loss after losing her title in a major upset to Holly Holm in Australia in November 2015. Prior to that, however, she embarked on a record-setting MMA career as the UFC’s first and most dominant female fighter and bantamweight champion. She was the first woman inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and went on to have a star-studded career in World Wrestling Entertainment that culminated in its women’s division main eventing Wrestlemania for the first time in history. Rousey is also a New York Times bestselling offer, and as an actress has appeared in both the “Fast and the Furious” and “The Expendables” franchises.
But before Rousey came on the scene, it was Carano (7-1) who was widely recognized as a key figure in popularizing and legitimizing women’s MMA before women were invited to compete in the UFC. Due to her skill, marketability, and mainstream appeal, she was often called the “Face of Women’s MMA.”
Carano headlined the first major MMA event featuring two women in the main event alongside Cris Cyborg in 2009, marking a landmark moment in women’s MMA visibility. After the fight, which ended with Carano getting knocked out in the first round, she transitioned into an acting career, becoming a commanding presence in Hollywood action cinema and major franchises, including “Haywire”, “Fast & Furious 6”, “Deadpool”, and “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 easy, 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.”
Rousey vs. Carano will have a kickoff news conference March 5 at Intuit Dome.