Ronda Rousey Announces Shock MMA Return, Will Face Gina Carano on May 16 (ET)
Ronda Rousey will make a surprise return to mixed martial arts on May 16 (ET), stepping back into competition for the first time since 2016 to take on fellow pioneer Gina Carano in a high-profile, five-round super-fight at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
Super-fight specifics and promotion
The bout will be contested at 145 pounds over five five-minute rounds, using 4oz gloves and fought inside a hexagon cage. It will be professionally sanctioned under the unified rules of MMA and marks the first MMA event staged by Most Valuable Promotions. The Intuit Dome, an 18, 000-seat arena in Los Angeles, has been announced as the host venue for the clash, which promoters are billing as a landmark moment for women’s combat sport.
Two pioneers collide — the stakes and backstories
Rousey, 39, returns to face a long-standing “super-fight” opponent in Carano, 43, bringing decades of influence and mainstream crossover appeal to the matchup. Rousey built a trailblazing MMA career, becoming the UFC’s first dominant female champion and later the first woman inducted into the promotion’s Hall of Fame. She also parlayed her athletic success into high-profile roles outside the cage, and has previously said that severe concussion problems contributed to her decision to step away from the sport.
Carano, who retired from active competition years before Rousey’s debut, holds a 7-1 professional record with her only loss coming against Cris Cyborg in 2009. Rousey’s record stands at 12-2. The two fighters have long been linked in fan conversations as representatives of different eras in women’s MMA — Carano as an early trailblazer and Rousey as the athlete who helped elevate the sport to new mainstream heights.
Rousey framed the matchup in sweeping terms: "Been waiting so long to announce this: me and Gina Carano are going to throw down in the biggest super-fight in women's combat sport history, " she said. Carano responded that Rousey personally invited her to make the bout happen and described the fight as an honour, adding that she believes she will walk away with the win and expects the challenge to be difficult.
What this means for MMA
The announcement revives an old “what if” for mixed martial arts fans and injects fresh mainstream attention into the sport. Promoters have presented the meeting as a symbolic passing of the torch and a celebration of women who helped build the modern landscape of MMA. Staging the fight under unified rules and with a full five-round structure signals an intent to treat the bout as a legitimate competitive contest rather than an exhibition.
Beyond the immediate headlines, the match raises questions about the fighters’ preparation and medical clearances, particularly given Rousey’s prior disclosure of concussion-related issues. Both camps will be under close scrutiny as they prepare for a fight that carries clear commercial and historical weight. For fans who have long debated a meeting between these two figures, May 16 (ET) will finally provide an answer inside the cage.
More details and undercard announcements are expected in the weeks ahead as trainers, athletic commissions and promoters work to finalise logistics for what is being presented as one of the most consequential women’s combat events in recent memory.
