Netflix announced on Monday a new fight that shocked mixed martial arts fans, because arguable two of the greatest MMA stars of all-time, and women's sports as a whole, Gina Carano and Ronda Rousey, will fight in three months, making it the first time they coincide in the sport.
It will mark their return to professional fighting after many years. Rousey, who became the most popular fighter in the sport between 2010 and 2016, and later joined WWE, is returning after a decade. Carano's return is even more surprising, as she retired from MMA in 2009 and has not fought in 17 years.
Carano had a successful MMA career, of 8 wins and 1 loss between 2006 and 2009, but after retirement she became better known for her acting roles, in films like Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool, and most notably The Mandalorian... from where she was famously fired after controversial comments.
Rousey, who won Olympic bronze medal in Judo in Beijing 2008, joined MMA in 2010, and therefore Carano and Rousey never coincided. Rousey went on to dominate the sport until 2015, being the first woman to be invited by UFC. She joined WWE in 2018 until 2023, and then joined an independent wrestling circuit until 2025.
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Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano: times and how to watch the fight
Their long 10-year and 17-year hiatus in MMA will come to an end in three months: the fight between Rousey and Carano will take place on Saturday, May 16, and will be streamed on Netflix.
We know the venue, the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, but we still don't know the time. It will be a five-round, five-minutes each fight, contested as a featherweight bout at 145 pounds, and professionally sanctioned under the Unified Rules of MMA.
The fight will also mark the first time Netflix broadcast a MMA fight, and the first MMA fight to be organised by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions. Netflix and Paul have already brought some event boxing fights to Netflix, and now they have "stolen" from UFC the comeback of two of the sports bigger stars (Carano never fought for UFC, as they didn't invite women at the time).
Are you excited for the fight between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano?