Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are coming out of retirement to fight each other on May 16. Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions confirmed Tuesday that the fight will be held at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, with Netflix streaming it live.
This fight will be Rousey’s first fight back in about a decade, and Carano hasn’t fought since 2009, giving her a 17-year gap. Both fighters have been icons in building women’s MMA, and this fight is already being labeled a super fight.
Fight Information
Both fighters will have to compete at a weight of 145 pounds. There are 5 rounds each lasting 5 minutes. The fight will take place in a hexagon cage, and for this event, the Unified Rules of MMA will apply, meaning the fighters will wear 4-ounce gloves. A press conference to kick off the event will be held on March 5 at the Intuit Dome.
Rousey: The Woman Who Changed Everything
Rousey (12-2) was the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in Judo, and did so in 2008. She then went on to dominate in Strikeforce, and was the first woman signed by the UFC. She won the first UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title and set a record by defending the belt 6 times.
Rousey finished 11 of her first 12 fights, with 3 of her opponents losing to her in under a minute. She quickly developed a reputation for her signature armbar submission move. Dana White, the owner of the UFC, was pushed to promote women’s MMA because of Rousey’s popularity.
In 2015 Holly Holms scored an enormous upset by beating Rousey. In 2016 Amanda Nunes knocked Rousey out and that loss ended Rousey’s MMA career. After that Rousey transitioned to the WWE, where she became a 3-time world champion. In 2018 the UFC inducted her into the Hall of Fame.
“I’m so excited to share this news,” Rousey said. “Gina Carano and I are about to fight in the largest super fight in women’s combat sports history. This fight is for all the MMA fans, past, present, and futur.”
Carano: The Pioneer Who Opened the Door
Carano (7-1) fought from 2006 to 2009. She lost against Cris Cyborg by TKO in 2009, and this fight was for the first ever Strikeforce women’s 145-pound title. She ended her career after this fight, but her influence still lives on in MMA.
Carano was the first women fighter to be on a major television show and that helped a lot of other women fighters get credit for their work and helped promote women’s fighting when many other promoters wouldn’t. After retiring, at 43, she was able to start a very successful career in acting in movies like Haywire, Fast and Furious 6, Deadpool, and in the television show The Mandalorian.
“She told me there’s only one person she would do a comeback fight for”, said Carano. “I’m thankful for the opportunity. I do believe I will come out with the victory — and I do believe it will be tough.”
Jake Paul’s MVP Enters MMA
This fight is the first professional MMA fight for Most Valuable Promotions. Paul and co-founder Nakisa Bidarian built MVP on disruption. They proved their model works in boxing. Now they are taking it to MMA. Rousey stated she was the first to contact UFC president Dana White regarding the fight but it didn’t come to fruition. She then went to MVP and Netflix instead.
More bouts will be added to the card, which will be announced. May 16 is heading towards a big night for MMA.
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