Ronda Rousey confirms shock MMA return to face Gina Carano on May 16, 2026 (ET)
Ronda Rousey will make her first mixed martial arts appearance in a decade when she meets Gina Carano on May 16, 2026 (ET) at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, the fighters and promoters have confirmed. The bout is billed as a landmark super-fight for women’s combat sports and will be contested over five five-minute rounds at 145 pounds under the unified rules of MMA.
What we know about the matchup
Rousey, the Olympic judo medallist turned MMA star who rewrote the record books as the first dominant female champion in the highest-profile promotion of the sport, will step back into the cage against Carano, a pioneer from MMA’s earlier era who later moved into acting. The bout will use 4oz gloves and take place inside a hexagonal cage. It will be professionally sanctioned and contested over five rounds.
Both fighters framed the bout as more than a single event. Rousey described the fight as a dream collision of two formative figures in women’s mixed martial arts and vowed there is “much more” to come. Carano said Rousey personally asked for the matchup and called it an honour, adding she expects a difficult contest but believes she will emerge victorious.
The event will be promoted by Most Valuable Promotions, the company co-founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. Promoters say the card is intended to deliver a major moment for women’s combat sports and to bring a different, fighter-first approach to staging high-profile fights.
Legacy, stakes and wider significance
For long-time fans, Rousey versus Carano represents the super-fight that never happened at the crest of both of their careers. Rousey left the sport after a high-profile run as a champion and later pursued other athletic and entertainment endeavours, while Carano stopped competing professionally years earlier and built a public profile outside the cage. Their meeting now is being sold as a generational clash that traces the arc of women’s MMA from its early stars to its modern icons.
Rousey’s return will be closely watched for several reasons: medical history that contributed to her earlier retirement, the calibre of her opponent, and the ruleset selected for the contest. Officials have confirmed full professional sanctioning and adherence to unified rules, signalling that the match will not be an exhibition but a regulated competitive fight.
Beyond the immediate fight, organisers have positioned the event as a signal of ambition for a promotion that has already made waves in professional boxing. The involvement of a major streaming partner to carry the show live suggests organisers are aiming for a global audience and an elevated commercial profile for women’s MMA.
Looking ahead
Tickets for the Intuit Dome event are expected to be in high demand once they go on sale, and promotional build-up will likely focus on the fighters’ respective histories, training camps and how each body of work translates into a middleweight clash at 145 pounds. Both camps have so far emphasised respect and legacy while promising an intense, competitive fight.
With the bout set for May 16, 2026 (ET), the coming weeks should reveal further details on undercard line-ups, broadcast arrangements and medical clearances. For now, the announcement has reignited debate among fans and analysts over matchmaking, the place of crossover events in MMA, and the larger trajectory of women’s combat sports.
