Rousey-Carano Exhibition Announced
Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano announced an upcoming exhibition bout, generating significant excitement across MMA social media. The matchup pairs two former UFC pioneers who helped establish women's MMA before transitioning to entertainment careers. The fight represents a nostalgic return for both fighters who haven't competed professionally in years.
- Ronda Rousey's last professional MMA fight was a TKO loss to Amanda Nunes on December 30, 2016, at UFC 207. Gina Carano's last bout was on August 15, 2009, when she suffered her only professional loss to Cris Cyborg in a Strikeforce event. - Before her two career-ending losses, Rousey (12-2) established a dominant record that included six consecutive UFC title defenses, with 11 of her 12 wins coming in the first round. - Carano (7-1) was widely considered the "face of women's MMA" prior to her retirement, competing in the first-ever sanctioned female MMA bout in Nevada and headlining the first major MMA event for women. - The exhibition will be promoted by Jake Paul's company, Most Valuable Promotions, and will be the first live MMA event to stream globally on Netflix. The bout is scheduled for May 16, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. - Following her MMA career, Rousey had a successful run in professional wrestling, signing with WWE in 2018 and winning the Raw Women's Championship, SmackDown Women's Championship, and WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. - Carano transitioned into a successful acting career after her fighting career, with notable roles in films like "Haywire," "Deadpool," and "Fast & Furious 6," as well as portraying Cara Dune in the "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian." - Rousey was the first female fighter inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018 and is the only woman to have been a champion in both the UFC and WWE. - The bout will be a professionally sanctioned fight under the Unified Rules of MMA, contested at 145 pounds over five, five-minute rounds.
