Ronda Rousey Plans MMA Return

- Before her MMA career, Rousey was an accomplished judoka, becoming the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in the sport with a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games. She was also the youngest judoka at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens at age 17. - Rousey's last MMA fight was a TKO loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016, just 48 seconds into the first round. This followed her first career loss to Holly Holm in November 2015, ending her undefeated streak and three-year reign as bantamweight champion. - She was the first female fighter signed by the UFC and became the promotion's inaugural Women's Bantamweight Champion. Rousey successfully defended her title six times, a record for a female fighter at the time. - During her time away from MMA, Rousey pursued a career in professional wrestling with WWE, debuting in 2018. She became a three-time women's world champion and was part of the first-ever women's main event at WrestleMania in 2019. - In 2018, she became the first woman inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, recognized as a pioneer for women's combat sports. UFC President Dana White has credited her with being the sole reason for the inclusion of women in the UFC. - Her return bout is scheduled against fellow MMA pioneer Gina Carano on May 16, 2026, at an event promoted by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions that will stream on Netflix. Carano, who has been retired since 2009, was a major figure in women's MMA before Rousey's rise. - Of her 12 professional MMA wins, nine were by submission, with eight of those coming via her signature armbar. Several of her victories were remarkably fast, including a 14-second win over Cat Zingano and a 16-second knockout of Alexis Davis.