MMA News

Tag: Gina Carano

  • Gina Carano Reveals She Was Pre-Diabetic After Mandalorian Firing Left Her In Physical and Emotional Collapse

    Gina Carano Reveals She Was Pre-Diabetic After Mandalorian Firing Left Her In Physical and Emotional Collapse

    Gina Carano has given the most detailed account yet of how her firing from The Mandalorian in 2021 affected her health, revealing she became pre-diabetic during a five-year retreat from public life before fighting her way back.

    Speaking with Ariel Helwani on Wednesday, Carano described the immediate aftermath of the cancellation as a physical and emotional collapse that went far beyond losing a job.

    “I had so much anxiety in my body that my face hurt. Like my skin hurt me,” Carano said. “My soul was just crushed. My heart was broken. I felt like there was such injustice in what happened. It was just so harsh.”

    Paparazzi and stalkers began showing up at her door. She and her partner sold their Los Angeles home, bought an RV, tried Nashville, and eventually settled in Montana. By late 2024, her doctor delivered a serious warning.

    “You go to the doctor, you get your blood work, you’re pre-diabetic, you’re in trouble, you’re very sick. Time to get your life,” Carano said.

    September 2024 was the turning point. She committed to getting physically healthy, and by the time Dana White called her in December about a potential fight, she had already lost 30 pounds. The fight with Rousey, eventually made through Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix rather than the UFC, became the framework her recovery was built around.

    “I’m happy to have had it lead me here, because I’m doing this thing that saved my life in the beginning and now it’s saving my life again,” she said. “It’s fresh, it’s exciting, it feels groundbreaking, and I feel like I just had to get back to who I am. This is where it started.”

    Carano said she wants her comeback to carry a message for anyone else who has been in a similar place, and that she has moved well past any concern about how the story looks from the outside.

    “I want people to know, I’m over embarrassment by now, you’re never too far gone,” she said. “You can bring yourself back from cancellation, from being really obese. If you’re in an unhealthy state and something bad happens to you, that semi-healthy state turns into devastation on your body and it’s really hard to turn the corner on that.”

    Carano vs. Rousey headlines the first live MMA event on Netflix on May 16 from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

  • Gina Carano Warns Ronda Rousey: ‘I Want Her To Feel Everything I Have’

    Gina Carano Warns Ronda Rousey: ‘I Want Her To Feel Everything I Have’

    Gina Carano made one thing clear in her conversation with Ariel Helwani on Wednesday: the friendship she and Ronda Rousey have built in the lead-up to May 16 ends when the cage door closes.

    Speaking ahead of their Netflix fight at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, Carano was direct about what Rousey should expect from her when the fight begins and pushed back on any suggestion that showing up would be enough.

    “Ronda’s been waiting to fight me for a very long time,” Carano said. “I don’t want to disappoint. I want her to feel everything I have. I want her to feel what she’s been chasing. It’s respectful to her. This is what I feel like, this is what this experience with me is going to feel like. So yeah, we’re going to go for it.”

    Helwani pressed Carano on whether the two women genuinely want to hurt each other. Her answer drew on what she described as a quality shared by most women who compete at a high level.

    “If you have females sparring in the gym, it’s really hard to not go heavy,” Carano said. “Women just cut that emotional thing off and it’s ‘me or you.’ Ronda has that. I have that. Most of the girls in the gym have that. So it’s just: we’re going to fight.”

    When Helwani asked whether the result even matters given the symbolic weight of the fight, Carano did not hesitate. “I really want to win. Like, I really want to win.”

    She framed May 16 as the proper conclusion to a chapter rather than the start of a new one. The fight is scheduled at featherweight with no one-pound allowance, matching the weight class she competed at throughout her EliteXC and Strikeforce career.

    “For me it’s purely about having gotten in shape, going through everything, getting back in there against an incredible opponent, putting on a great show. And really just going for that W and closing this part of my life.”

    She described the mindset shift that brought her to this point as a choice between two directions. “You can go left and choose to hate yourself and hate the world and all of that, or you can go right and get your shit together and say, ‘I’m going to do everything I can.’ I’ve chosen to go that direction, and I feel more alive than I’ve ever felt.”

    Carano vs. Rousey headlines the first live MMA card on Netflix on May 16 from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

  • Gina Carano Says Dana White Called First About Fight Against Ronda Rousey

    Gina Carano Says Dana White Called First About Fight Against Ronda Rousey

    Gina Carano has revealed the full timeline of how her May 16 fight against Ronda Rousey came together, and the path ran through a collapsed UFC deal before Rousey stepped in to finish the job herself.

    Speaking with Ariel Helwani on Wednesday, Carano explained that Dana White made the first call in December 2024, months after she had already begun working on her own to get back into fighting shape.

    “Dana called in December,” Carano said. “From September 2024 to when Dana called in December, I had lost about 30 lbs by that point, but I had a long way to go.”

    White had spent the back half of 2024 publicly teasing a major announcement, which Carano confirmed was tied to her. She asked him to stay quiet while she found a gym and got into condition without public scrutiny. Those initial conversations were UFC conversations, and they eventually stalled.

    Carano was candid about where her negotiating leverage actually sat. “I didn’t really have that much negotiating power, except for the fact that Ronda wants to fight me. I’m the only one she wants to fight. So I was just like, ‘Ronda, go for it.’”

    When the UFC negotiations went nowhere, Rousey handled it personally. The two women, linked by dream fight hypotheticals for more than a decade, finally sat down together in person.

    “She really led the way, she led the way a thousand percent. I just said yes. And then when their negotiations weren’t going anywhere, she called me personally. And then we had dinner and actually talked about it,” Carano said.

    The fight landed at Most Valuable Promotions with Netflix as the distribution partner, making Carano the headliner of the first live MMA card the streamer has ever produced. For Carano, the entire process had a clarity that she found grounding.

    “When you have a purpose and a goal, this goal of a fight has really just consumed me and put a protective shield over me that I needed to experience,” she said. “It’s very selfish. Eat, sleep, train. I needed to live like this for a second. And I’m already going to miss it.”

    Carano vs. Rousey headlines the Netflix card on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

  • Ronda Rousey Shuts Down Age Critics Before Long-Awaited MMA Return On May 16 – ‘Not Like My Ovaries are ighting’

    Ronda Rousey Shuts Down Age Critics Before Long-Awaited MMA Return On May 16 – ‘Not Like My Ovaries are ighting’

    Ronda Rousey is set to make her long-awaited return to MMA nearly a decade after her last fight, and she is pushing back firmly against doubts tied to her age.

    The former UFC bantamweight champion will face Gina Carano on May 16 in a high-profile bout that will headline the first MMA event to stream live on Netflix. The matchup brings together two of the sport’s early stars, though it has also sparked debate due to the extended time both fighters have spent away from competition.

    “Rowdy”, now 39, has not competed since her loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016, where she was stopped in just 48 seconds.

    That result came after her first professional defeat against Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November 2015, which ended her dominant run as champion. Rousey holds a 12-2 record in professional MMA, including a 6-2 stint in the UFC.

    Ronda Rousey Addresses Criticism Over Age

    During a recent interview on CBS Mornings, Rousey dismissed the idea that her age should be seen as a limitation, as questions about her comeback continue to dominate discussion in the MMA community.

    “I never hear Jon Jones’ age being brought up as a disqualifying factor,” Rousey said. “It’s not like my ovaries are fighting. You know what I mean? Why are we even talking about this?”

    At her peak, Rousey was one of the most dominant fighters in the sport. She successfully defended the UFC women’s bantamweight title six times, often finishing opponents in under a minute, while becoming one of the promotion’s biggest crossover stars.

    Following her time in MMA, “Rowdy” transitioned into professional wrestling with WWE and appeared in several Hollywood films. Despite her long absence, she never officially retired, which left the possibility of a return open.

    “There was kind of like a cascade of things that led to it, but largely I wanted to rewrite my own ending in MMA,” Rousey said. “It was just unfinished. I never formally retired. Dana said I retired and I hadn’t fought in, like, 10 years, so I think I needed everyone to kind of give up on me coming back before I knew I was coming back just for me.”

    Carano, 43, has not competed since 2009, when she suffered a knockout loss to Cris Cyborg.

    For Rousey, the upcoming fight is expected to be a one-time return, aimed at closing her career on her own terms while rediscovering her connection to the sport.

  • Ronda Rousey Shocks Fans With Surprise AEW Revolution Appearance Ahead Of Long-Awaited MMA Return On May 16

    Ronda Rousey Shocks Fans With Surprise AEW Revolution Appearance Ahead Of Long-Awaited MMA Return On May 16

    Ronda Rousey stepped into an AEW ring on Sunday night at Revolution 2026 — but it’s her May 16 MMA comeback that has the combat sports world paying attention.

    The UFC Hall of Famer appeared at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles following a match between AEW’s Toni Storm and Marina Shafir, entering the ring to go face-to-face with Storm in a charged confrontation that quickly went viral.

    Security and referees separated the two before anything escalated, though Shafir — Rousey’s longtime friend landed a cheap shot on Storm in the melee. Full details on the wrestling segment are at SEScoops.

    Ronda Rousey’s Close Bond With Marina Shafir

    Ronda Rousey’s presence alongside Marina Shafir is far from coincidental. The two share a close bond that dates back well before their time in professional wrestling. Shafir previously trained under the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion, building a connection that later carried over into the wrestling world, where the pair even teamed together in Ring of Honor in 2023.

    Shafir has already confirmed that she will be in Ronda Rousey’s corner for her highly anticipated MMA showdown against fellow veteran Gina Carano.

    The bout is scheduled to take place on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, making Sunday’s appearance feel just as much like a show of support and alliance as it did a wrestling storyline.

    Two Months Out From The Biggest Fight Of 2026

    With her May 16 Netflix card now fully taking shape — Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins confirmed as the co-main event — Rousey’s public profile heading into the fight is exactly where Most Valuable Promotions needs it to be.

    Sunday’s AEW moment puts her in front of a mainstream wrestling audience of millions at a critical point in the promotional calendar.

    “Rowdy”, 39, hasn’t competed in MMA since her TKO loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016. Her opponent, Gina Carano, 43, last fought professionally in 2009. The fight will be contested at 145 pounds over five five-minute rounds under the Unified Rules of MMA inside a hexagon cage.

    The matchup has drawn high-profile support from Amanda Serrano, who called it a game-changer and praised both women as pioneers of combat sports.

  • Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins Official for May 16 Netflix Card

    Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins Official for May 16 Netflix Card

    Francis Ngannou is officially headed back to MMA. On Monday, it was confirmed that the former UFC heavyweight champion will take on Philipe Lins in a five-round heavyweight contest on May 16 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

    The bout joins the already announced Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano main event on a historic card that will stream live on Netflix. Per ESPN, Ngannou vs. Lins will serve as the co-main event for Most Valuable Promotions’ inaugural MMA show, listed on the official event graphic as a 5×5 professional MMA bout.

    For Ngannou, the fight marks his first MMA appearance since he stopped Renan Ferreira in the first round to win the PFL Super Fights heavyweight championship in October 2024. He parted ways with the PFL earlier this month, making his landing spot on the May 16 card his first bout as a free agent.

    Lins enters the matchup with experience across the UFC, Bellator, and PFL. ESPN noted that the Brazilian won the 2018 PFL heavyweight tournament and previously put together a four-fight winning streak in the UFC from 2022 to 2024.

    According to ESPN, the contest will be contested under the Unified Rules of MMA inside a hexagon cage with 4-ounce gloves. With Ngannou now officially added, the May 16 lineup has become one of the most high-profile MMA events of 2026.

  • Amanda Serrano Backs Rousey vs. Carano, Takes Aim at Critics

    Amanda Serrano Backs Rousey vs. Carano, Takes Aim at Critics

    Amanda Serrano has weighed in on the newly announced Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight, praising both women as pioneers and taking a shot at anyone who views the matchup negatively.

    Serrano, who signed a lifetime deal with Most Valuable Promotions in March 2025, shared her thoughts on social media following the announcement that Rousey and Carano will headline MVP’s first-ever MMA event on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, streaming live on Netflix.

    https://x.com/serranosisters/status/2024239427170500820?s=46

    “It’s so cool to have one of the Best combat Athletes back @RondaRousey vs another pioneer of combat sports the beautiful @ginacarano,” Serrano wrote. “Others shining lights won’t dim yours Unless you’re insecure, these women will break Numbers both in Viewerships & in live Attendance. I’m certain they will make a ton of money Raising the game!!”

    She continued, “I feel it for the Lames that think it’s all about them. Real Empowered Women Empower Women! Tissues for the rest.”

    Reactions to Rousey vs Carano

    Serrano’s comments come as the fight has drawn mixed reactions across the combat sports world. While Rousey, 39, hasn’t competed in MMA since her knockout loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016, and Carano, 43, last fought professionally in 2009, the pairing has generated massive buzz as a dream matchup that never materialized during their primes.

    The Puerto Rican boxing champion knows firsthand what MVP and Netflix can deliver. Serrano’s rematch with Katie Taylor in November 2024 became the most-watched professional women’s sports event in U.S. history with 74 million global viewers, and their trilogy at Madison Square Garden in July 2025 headlined the first-ever all-women’s boxing card at the iconic venue.

    MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian called Rousey and Carano “the two most formative figures in the history of women’s MMA” when announcing the bout. The fight will be contested at 145 pounds over five five-minute rounds under the Unified Rules of MMA.

    A kickoff press conference is scheduled for March 5 at the Intuit Dome, with additional fights on the undercard to be announced in the coming weeks.

  • Ronda Rousey & Gina Carano To Undergo Extensive Pre-Fight Testing

    Ronda Rousey & Gina Carano To Undergo Extensive Pre-Fight Testing

    The pre-fight medicals that Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will have to go through ahead of their May 16 matchup will be more extensive than the usual for an MMA fighter.

    Per an update from ESPN, Andy Foster — California State Athletic Commission executive director — confirmed that Rousey and Carano will be mandated to go through medical and neurological testing that is more than what is normally required.

    Perhaps the most noteworthy of the additional medical requirements is that the 39-year-old Rousey must go through concussion battery testing.

    “We’re going to put her through neurological and concussion battery testing and make sure she’s OK,” Foster said. “We’re going to have our doctors take a look. The fighters are going to have to do a lot of medicals.”

    In her years away from the Octagon, Rousey has come clean about her history and battles with concussions. The inaugural UFC women’s bantamweight champion and former Olympic bronze medal judoka admitted that she kept concussion diagnoses hidden from the UFC and fight officials, fearing a premature end to her career, as well as a target being placed on her in fights.

    The 43-year-old Carano, however, will go through her own set of in-depth testing due to her inactivity and age. The CSAC requires fighters over the age of 40 must undergo the following: a magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, electrocardiogram (EKG), cardiac testing, an exercise stress echocardiogram, neurocognitive testing, blood work, metabolic panel and ophthalmologic eye exam.

    This is in accordance of recommendations from the Association of Ringside Physicians.

    In spite of the extensive testing, Foster assures that if both women pass everything, the fight will go through.

    “As long as these women pass their medicals and pass all their neurological batteries and do the things they need to do, there’s nothing wrong with this fight,” Foster said.

    Rousey, a 2018 inductee of the UFC Hall of Fame, has not fought in MMA since her sub-minute loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. She has since had a couple of stints with the WWE, becoming a multiple-time women’s world champion.

    Carano, meanwhile, has not fought since her August 2009 loss to Cris Cyborg in Strikeforce. After the end of her MMA run, Carano had a successful transition to Hollywood, earning roles in films such as Fast & the Furious 6 and Deadpool, as well as the first two seasons of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian.

    Rousey vs. Carano will headline the first MMA card for MVP Promotions, taking place on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California, and airing on Netflix.

  • Gina Carano’s Coach: “She Has the Capabilities to Shock the World”

    Gina Carano’s Coach: “She Has the Capabilities to Shock the World”

    Gina Carano’s head coach is not interested in just showing up on May 16. John Wood, head coach at Syndicate MMA, spoke to MMA Fighting this morning and made clear that Carano’s return against Ronda Rousey on Netflix is being treated as a genuine competitive fight – not a cash grab.

    “She’s fired up and we’re firing on all cylinders already,” Wood said. “She’s coming out there to win that fight. There is no intention of just showing up. Showing up for me isn’t even acceptable. It’s we’re going out there to win the fight.”

    A Serious Camp, Not a Cash Grab

    Wood said he would have been upfront with Carano if she had walked into Syndicate looking like she wasn’t ready. That’s not what he found. Carano is training twice a day, taking her diet seriously, and has had to be reined in during sparring sessions.

    “Had she come in and just been a pile of hot garbage, I’d have been like, ‘Hey, do you need the money? Cause we’ll do it for this, but…’ That’s not been the case, man. She looks great. She’s training every day, twice a day. She’s killing it.”

    Wood also pushed back against the idea that this fight is a novelty act.

    “This isn’t just a cash grab of like, hey, we’re going to do this. This is a woman.. two women, who actually want to fight and want to come back and get into it. And I can tell you that the fire is there.”

    The Fighter Who Never Actually Retired

    Carano’s last professional fight was in 2009. But according to Wood (and reportedly per Carano herself) she never formally retired. She just stopped fighting. Wood says the competitive instinct was never fully extinguished.

    “Her goal is.. she misses the fight game. She still loves to fight. She’s a fighter at heart. I think she probably retired a little early and so I think there’s still that need to get out there and prove that she can still do it – and I know she can.”

    Wood has known Carano for over 20 years, going back to her K1 days before her first MMA fight. He said her willingness to absorb new techniques has been one of the highlights of camp so far.

    “She’s kind of like a sponge now, absorbing things. There’s not a lot of bad habits to break. So we’re learning new habits and she’s picking things up very, very fast.”

    “The Best Gina Carano You’ve Ever Seen”

    Wood was direct about where he stands on the outcome. Carano enters the fight as a significant underdog, a position Wood says he actually prefers.

    “I truly believe she has the capabilities to go out there and shock the world. And that’s what our plan is. Come May 16th, you’re going to see something that I don’t think has ever been seen from her before. You’re going to see the best Gina Carano that’s ever stepped into a ring or cage.”

    Rousey vs. Carano is set for May 16, 2026 on Netflix, promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. The fight was previously discussed for the UFC as far back as 2015 before those negotiations collapsed.

  • The Dana White Text That Killed Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano in UFC

    The Dana White Text That Killed Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano in UFC

    With Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano finally signed for May 16, it’s worth revisiting the offensive text message from Dana White that killed this superfight a decade ago — and ended his relationship with Carano entirely.

    In a 2019 interview with Ariel Helwani, Carano revealed the full story of how close she came to fighting Rousey in the UFC, and how spectacularly it fell apart over broken trust and a text message that was never meant for her to see.

    The Setup: A Million Dollars and One Request

    Around 2015, at the height of Ronda Rousey’s dominance, UFC president Dana White and then-owner Lorenzo Fertitta took Carano to a “nice dinner” and offered her $1 million to fight Rousey. Carano left the meeting “stoked” about the opportunity.

    She had one specific request: six months to step away from her Hollywood career, find a legitimate gym, build a proper team, and get back into fighting shape. Most importantly, she asked White to keep the negotiations quiet during that preparation period.

    White agreed.

    The very next day, he began publicly discussing signing Carano.

    “I asked him to just keep it quiet for six months while I built a team and got ready,” Carano told Helwani. “The next day, he’s talking about it publicly. That broke the trust.”

    The Text Message

    As public pressure mounted and Carano struggled to prepare under the media spotlight she’d specifically asked to avoid, White sent her a text message clearly intended for someone else:

    “This b**** isn’t f**king us around.”

    Carano’s response was ice-cold: “I think you sent that to the wrong person.”

    White’s reply was even colder: “I don’t think I did.”

    That exchange marked their last communication. The million-dollar superfight was dead.

    Why It Hurt

    The text wasn’t just offensive. It represented everything Carano had come to resent about her dealings with White and the UFC. Years earlier, when she was fighting for Strikeforce and preparing to face Cris Cyborg, White and Fertitta had approached her with an offer to join the WEC instead, specifically encouraging her not to take the Cyborg fight. Carano refused, stating she’d given her word to Strikeforce and her fans.

    When the Rousey opportunity came around, the pattern repeated: an agreement made in private, immediately broken in public, followed by pressure tactics when she tried to hold White to his word.

    “I have a problem with the abuse of authority. People holding money over my head has never been a turn-on for me. That’s ultimately what led to me cutting off communication.”

    Gina Carano to Ariel Helwani

    The Apology That Didn’t Matter

    White did eventually apologize to Carano in person at a Sports Hall of Fame event where both her father and Mike Tyson were being honored. But by then, the damage was irreversible.

    The text message had confirmed what Carano already suspected about how White viewed her — not as a partner in negotiations, but as someone to be controlled and pressured into compliance.

    A Decade Later

    What the UFC couldn’t make happen in 2015, Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions has now delivered. Rousey vs. Carano is signed for May 16, 2026 — a fight that represents the resolution of one of women’s MMA’s most infamous “what if” stories.

    The fight is happening a decade late and under a completely different banner than anyone expected. Despite Rousey being heavily favored, at least Dana White won’t be anywhere near the negotiations.

  • MMA World Reacts to Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano

    MMA World Reacts to Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano

    The MMA world erupted on Tuesday after Most Valuable Promotions officially announced Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano for May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The five-round featherweight superfight will headline Netflix’s first-ever live MMA event and marks Rousey’s first MMA bout since December 2016 and Carano’s first since August 2009.

    Fighters, promoters, and combat sports personalities flooded social media with reactions ranging from excitement to disbelief. Here’s how the MMA community responded.

    Jake Paul Credits Rousey as Inspiration

    MVP co-founder Jake Paul, whose promotion is staging the event, called the moment “surreal” on X. Paul wrote that he started taking judo because of Rousey and expressed excitement about bringing MMA to Netflix alongside both women’s MMA legends.

    Conor McGregor Intrigued

    Former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor reacted with a shocked emoji on Instagram, signaling his interest in the matchup. McGregor, who headlined a record-breaking Netflix boxing card with MVP in 2024, is no stranger to the spectacle-driven events the promotion has built its brand around.

    Cris Cyborg Takes Shots

    The reaction with the most bite came from Cris Cyborg, who has long called for a fight with Rousey. Cyborg didn’t hold back, writing on X that Rousey spent years ducking her at 145 pounds when both were in their primes. She also took a shot at the legitimacy of the matchup, sarcastically referencing CTE concerns.

    The Cyborg-Rousey rivalry is one of the biggest “what if” fights in MMA history. Cyborg defeated Carano for the inaugural Strikeforce women’s 145-pound title in 2009 and has maintained that Rousey avoided her throughout her UFC career.

    Fighters Celebrate Historical Significance

    Former UFC middleweight Derek Brunson expressed intrigue, posting that he couldn’t believe the matchup was actually happening.

    Pearl Gonzalez offered a more reflective take, calling it a landmark moment for women’s combat sports and crediting Carano as the woman who opened doors, Rousey as the one who kicked them down, and Amanda Nunes as the one who helped cement the foundation.

    Yana Santos called Carano her “dream fight,” while Invicta FC, the all-women’s MMA promotion that helped develop many of today’s top female fighters, simply reacted with “WOW.” Boxing champion Claressa Shields also expressed shock at the announcement.

    On the WWE side, former rivals Charlotte Flair, Liv Morgan, and Nikki Bella all posted supportive reactions to Rousey’s long-teased return to competition.

    What’s Next

    A kickoff press conference is scheduled for March 5 at Intuit Dome. Additional fights for the card will be announced at a later date. Rousey has already opened as a heavy -450 favorite, with Carano listed as a +350 underdog. The bout will be contested at 145 pounds under the Unified Rules of MMA inside a hexagon cage.

  • Ronda Rousey Confirms UFC Passed on Gina Carano Fight

    Ronda Rousey Confirms UFC Passed on Gina Carano Fight

    Ronda Rousey has confirmed that her upcoming fight with Gina Carano was initially pitched to the UFC before ultimately landing outside the promotion for a May 16 event at the Intuit Dome.

    Speaking on ESPN’s SportsCenter this afternoon, the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion revealed that UFC President Dana White was her first call when she decided to return to competition.

    “I reached out to Dana and asked him if he would be interested in it, and it didn’t exactly work out with the UFC, but it led us to here today,” Rousey said.

    The comment suggests either the UFC passed on the fight or negotiations failed to produce terms acceptable to both sides. Rousey did not elaborate on why the UFC deal fell through.

    Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano: Years in the Making

    The fight has been over a year in the making, with Rousey beginning the process while still pregnant.

    “This has been in the making since I was pregnant, which is over a year ago. It took a long time to get us here. We fought for this. We fought to fight each other, and there were a lot of obstacles along the way,” she explained.

    Rousey’s determination to make the fight happen went beyond typical promotional efforts. She told Carano she would personally train her opponent if necessary to overcome the challenges standing in their way.

    “I told her, ‘If I have to go out there and train you myself to fight me, I will.’ We had to work together to overcome every obstacle to get here,” Rousey said.

    The matchup represents a collision between two pioneers of women’s MMA from different eras. Carano was instrumental in bringing mainstream attention to women’s MMA before the UFC opened its women’s divisions, while Rousey became the promotion’s first women’s champion and biggest star.

    “She Needs This. I Need This”

    Rousey explained her motivation for returning centers on helping Carano find purpose again through competition.

    “She needs this. She needs this fight. And the more I thought about it, I was like, you know what? I need this. I really need this fight,” Rousey said.

    The fight will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on May 16, presented by Most Valuable Promotions.

    Rousey has not competed in MMA since her knockout loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016. The fight with Carano marks her return to the sport after nearly a decade away from competition.

  • Ronda Rousey Heavily Favored to Beat Gina Carano on May 16

    Ronda Rousey Heavily Favored to Beat Gina Carano on May 16

    Ronda Rousey is a heavy favorite to defeat Gina Carano when the two pioneers return to MMA on May 16 for their Netflix-streamed bout.

    BetOnline released opening odds for the highly anticipated matchup, listing Rousey at -450 while Carano enters as a significant underdog at +350. The line indicates bettors would need to wager $450 on Rousey to win $100, while a $100 bet on Carano would return $350 in profit.

    The odds reflect the dramatic difference in competitive experience between the two fighters. Rousey last competed in MMA at UFC 207 in December 30, 2016, while Carano’s last fight came against Cris Cyborg in August 15, 2009—nearly 16 years ago.

    Tale of Two Careers

    Rousey retired from MMA with a 12-2 record after consecutive losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. Despite those setbacks, she remains one of the sport’s most accomplished competitors, having defended the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship six times.

    Carano walked away from MMA with a 7-1 record, with her only loss coming via first-round TKO against Cyborg in the final Strikeforce women’s bout. She transitioned to acting and has remained largely inactive in combat sports since.

    The 16-year layoff for Carano versus Rousey’s eight-year absence creates a significant gap in recent competition. Rousey also has the advantage of high-level training during her WWE tenure, while Carano’s athletic focus shifted entirely to Hollywood.

    What’s Next for Rousey

    Following the fight announcement, Rousey teased “much more to come” on social media, suggesting the Carano bout may be the first of multiple MMA appearances rather than a one-off return.

    The Netflix platform provides a massive audience for both fighters, potentially setting up additional legacy fights if Rousey emerges victorious. The streaming giant has made aggressive moves into combat sports, making this a potential launching pad for future content.

    The May 16 fight date gives both competitors roughly three months to prepare for their comebacks. Rousey’s status as a prohibitive favorite reflects the betting market’s skepticism that Carano can overcome such an extended absence against elite-level competition.

  • Ronda Rousey MMA Return Against Gina Carano: May 16 on Netflix

    Ronda Rousey MMA Return Against Gina Carano: May 16 on Netflix

    Former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is coming back to mixed martial arts for the first time in nearly a decade, and she’s doing it against fellow women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano.

    The blockbuster matchup was confirmed Tuesday by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, with the fight set for May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The event will stream live on Netflix and marks MVP’s first professional MMA event.

    Rousey (12-2) and Carano (7-1) will compete at 145 pounds under the Unified Rules of MMA, with the bout sanctioned for five, five-minute rounds using 4-ounce gloves inside a hexagon cage.

    “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 to ESPN.

    Rousey, 39, last competed in MMA in December 2016, when she lost to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. Before that devastating knockout loss, Rousey had been the sport’s biggest star, winning her first 12 professional fights — 11 of them in the first round — and successfully defending the UFC women’s bantamweight title a record six consecutive times. She was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018 and spent four years as a WWE performer, winning three world championships.

    Carano, 43, hasn’t fought since her lone career defeat against Cris Cyborg for the inaugural Strikeforce women’s 145-pound title in August 2009 — making this a return from a 17-year layoff. Carano was instrumental in bringing mainstream attention to women’s MMA during her career from 2006 to 2009 and went on to appear in films 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. “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.”

    A kickoff press conference is scheduled for March 5 at Intuit Dome, with additional fights for the card to be announced at a later date.

  • Disney and Gina Carano Reach Shocking Settlement in Star Wars Lawsuit

    Disney and Gina Carano Reach Shocking Settlement in Star Wars Lawsuit

    Gina Carano has settled her lawsuit with the ‘House of Mouse.’

    The former MMA fighter was unceremoniously fired from her recurring role on the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian in 2021 after she made a controversial post on social media comparing the treatment of modern-day republicans to Jews during the Holocaust.

    “Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…. even by children, because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews,” the actress posted at the time. “How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?”

    Despite the utter ignorance of the post, Carano maintained that she was being discriminated against due to her conservative views, and, in turn, filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Disney with a little financial assistance from tech billionaire and Donald Trump’s on-again-off-again bestie, Elon Musk.

    On Thursday, Carano announced that she had settled the years-long suit with both Disney and it’s subsidary responsible for producing Star Wars content, Lucasfilm LTD.

    “I have come to an agreement with Disney/Lucasfilm @disney @Lucasfilm which I believe is the best outcome for all parties involved,” Carano said in a statement. “I hope this brings some healing to the force… I hope to make you proud. I am excited to flip the page and move onto the next chapter. My desires remain in the arts, which is where I hope you will join me.”

    Disney is seemingly open to working with Gina Carano again

    Before parting ways, Disney had reportedly floated the idea of producing a spin-off series based on Carano’s fan favorite character on the show, Cara Dune. Of course, those plans were quickly scrapped after her firing, but in a statement following the settlement, Disney seemingly left the door open to work with Carano in the future.

    “The Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Gina Carano to resolve the issues in her pending lawsuit against the companies. Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect.

    “With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future,” Disney said in a statement. 

    After Disney showed her the door, Carano continued to act in and produce projects for conservative media outlet Daily Wire. One of her projects included Terror on the Prairie, a western co-starring herself and UFC Hall of Famer Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone.

  • Gina Carano Thinks Ukraine Invasion Is Due To Loss Of “COVID Narrative”

    Former MMA fighter Gina Carano has her theory and what caused the Russian Federation’s ongoing invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

    Carano has made a slew of controversial remarks regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and how conservative political voices are treated in society. She compared the treatment of Republicans to that of how the Jewish people were treated during the Holocaust.

    Carano has made a career move to filmmaking following her MMA career. She last fought in the cage against Cris “Cyborg” Justino in Strikeforce back in 2009, losing via TKO with just a second left in the first round.

    Carano is widely regarded as arguably one of the biggest pioneers of women’s MMA, dating back to her time competing against the likes of Tonya Evinger and Kaitlin Young in EliteXC. But she has ruffled some feathers in the MMA community with some of her controversial comments on social media.

    In a recent tweet, Carano blamed countries losing hold of the “COVID narrative” for why Russia is invading Ukraine.

    https://twitter.com/ginacarano/status/1497253427730010117?s=20&t=42bRWg6h2ZbGZpuG6Nwn-Q

    “The moment they lost control of the covid narrative.
    Cue a war.

    “Straight from one crisis to the next.

    “A scripted reality show sacrificing innocent lives for unquenchable greed.

    “Endless power grabs.
    No accountability.
    Devastated economies.

    “Never give up freedom for fear,” Carano said.

    Carano has been a vocal critic of COVID-19 vaccines and more specifically, COVID-19 vaccine mandates. She has also compared mandatory vaccines with the AIDS epidemic that surged in the 1980s.

    Carano was let go by LucasFilms after her comments about the Holocaust in early 2021. Before that, she played a major role in the hit television show The Mandalorian, which is streamed exclusively on Disney+.

    Carano will be the main star of an upcoming Western film streamed through the right-wing publication The Daily Wire later this year. The film is titled “Terror on the Prairie” and will also feature a cameo from UFC fan-favorite Donald Cerrone.

    What are your thoughts on Gina Carano’s comments?