Ronda Rousey to Return for Landmark Bout Against gina carano
Ronda Rousey will end her decade-long absence from mixed martial arts to face gina carano in a high-profile superfight scheduled for 16 May (ET) at the 18, 000-seat Intuit Dome in California. The five-round clash at 145 pounds is being positioned as a watershed moment for women's combat sports and will be the first MMA fight to be streamed live on a major streaming service.
Fight details and the building narrative
The match is set for five rounds at 145lb (10st 5lb), a contest that brings together two of the sport's earliest and most influential female competitors. Rousey, 39, built a career that included an Olympic bronze medal in judo and a run as the UFC's inaugural women's bantamweight champion. Her pro MMA ledger stands at 12-2. Carano, 43, retired from the cage with a 7-1 record, her only defeat coming against Cris Cyborg in 2009.
Both fighters have taken divergent paths since leaving active competition. Rousey went on to perform in scripted sports entertainment and has grappled publicly with the long-term effects of head trauma, acknowledging in 2025 that severe concussion problems contributed to her decision to step away. Carano transitioned to acting and became a visible figure outside the fight world. The matchup has been long discussed among fans and insiders as the super-fight that nearly happened in earlier years but never materialised.
What each side is saying and why the fight matters
Rousey framed the contest as a long-awaited showdown, saying she had been eager to announce the bout and that Carano was the only opponent who would draw her back. Carano said Rousey approached her and extended gratitude for the doors she opened in the sport; she also declared her belief that she will leave with the victory but welcomed the challenge.
The promotional push leans on the historical layers: Carano was one of the first widely recognised female fighters in the United States and helped broaden mainstream interest, while Rousey's meteoric rise in the UFC helped establish women's divisions as headline attractions. A sanctioned meeting of the two women has been discussed for years — including times when the promotion attempted to arrange it during Rousey's prime — but contractual and timing issues kept it from happening until now.
Implications for the sport and risks in a comeback
Beyond the immediate commercial and cultural appeal, this fight raises questions about athlete safety, competitive readiness and matchmaking in comeback scenarios. Rousey's earlier retirement followed back-to-back high-profile losses, and the long-term effects of concussions are a clear context for any return. Carano's last pro fight was in 2009, meaning both competitors arrive with long layoffs and different bodies of recent combat experience.
Promoters are banking on the historical significance and crossover appeal of both names to drive interest in a large venue setting. For fans, the meeting answers a question that has hung over women's MMA for more than a decade: what happens when two pioneers finally square off on equal footing? The answer will arrive on 16 May (ET) at the Intuit Dome, when both fighters step back into the cage and into a spotlight that few women in combat sports have ever occupied.
