Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano end MMA retirements to fight in May

Rousey will return to MMA for the first time in nearly a decade when she challenges ⁠Carano on ⁠May 16 in California.Published On 18 Feb 2026Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will end their lengthy retirements from mixed martial arts (MMA) to fight each other on May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.The two pioneering fighters announced their returns on Tuesday for a bout that will be staged by Most Valuable Promotions, the combat sports promotion established by influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul and his business partner, Nakisa Bidarian. The show will be broadcast on Netflix.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘I didn’t set out to break records’: Pakistan’s first female MMA fighterlist 2 of 4‘Zionist to the core’: Swiss commentator slams Israeli bobsleigh teamlist 3 of 4Cricket legends ‘deeply concerned’ over Imran Khan’s deteriorating healthlist 4 of 4India now sets the terms of global cricketend of listThe 39-year-old Rousey hasn’t fought since 2016, while the 43-year-old Carano’s eight-bout MMA career ended in 2009. They’ll fight at 145lb (66kg) for five five-minute rounds.Despite their lengthy absences, Rousey and Carano remain two of the most iconic fighters in MMA history for their trailblazing careers. Carano led their once-outlawed sport into the mainstream of broadcast television, while Rousey secured the enthusiastic acceptance of women’s MMA by Dana White and the UFC.Rousey (12-2) rose to become arguably the biggest athlete in all of MMA after winning an Olympic medal in judo in 2008. Her armbar finishes and cage charisma single-handedly prompted White to begin the promotion of women’s MMA, with Rousey at the centre of his plans.Rousey won the UFC’s first-ever women’s bout in 2013 to claim the bantamweight title belt, and she still holds the promotion’s record with six title defences.After ending 11 of her first 12 fights in the first round, her career abruptly stalled when she lost back-to-back bouts to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, prompting her to move on to acting, professional wrestling and motherhood.