Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are set to step onto a historic stage later this month. More than 25 years after their retirements, the two women's MMA pioneers will make their stunning returns to the cage.
When is the Rousey-Carano fight?
Rousey vs. Carano headlines a Saturday, May 16, 11-fight card promoted by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions. The fight will be contested at 145 pounds over five five-minute rounds, using MMA's standard four-ounce gloves. The event starts at 6 p.m. ET with a five-fight preliminary card, followed by a six-fight main card at 9 p.m. ET.
Where and how to watch
The Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, will host the fight. This card will be the first MMA event broadcast live on Netflix, following the platform's success with boxing events and its upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather rematch on Sept. 25 from Las Vegas.
What have Rousey and Carano been doing?
Rousey, 39, is one of the biggest draws in MMA history. An Olympic judo medalist, she became a prizefighter and played a key role in UFC CEO Dana White allowing women to compete in the UFC. After winning the Strikeforce women's bantamweight title in 2012, Rousey (12-2) defended it six times in the UFC from 2013-15. Her reign ended with knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes in 2015 and 2016, after which she retired and moved to WWE. She was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018.
Carano, 43, was the biggest star in women's MMA before Rousey. In 2007, she and Julie Kedzie competed in the first women's fight on Showtime. Two years later, Carano (7-1) and Cris Cyborg headlined the first major MMA event for women. Carano retired after that fight and moved to acting, starring in franchises like Fast & Furious, Deadpool, and Star Wars. She recently discussed her controversial departure from Star Wars in a conversation with Uncrowned.
“I had so much anxiety in my body that my face hurt, my skin hurt me,” Carano told The Ariel Helwani Show. “I don’t know if anybody’s had that — it hurt so bad. My soul was just crushed. My heart was broken.”
Who is favored to win?
Rousey opened as a significant betting favorite (-650) at BetMGM sportsbooks, with Carano as a +450 underdog.
Full fight card
Main Card (9 p.m. ET, Netflix)
Women’s featherweight: Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano
Welterweight: Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry
Heavyweight: Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins
Featherweight: Salahdine Parnasse vs. TBD
Heavyweight: Junior dos Santos vs. TBD
Preliminary Card (6 p.m. ET, Netflix)
Welterweight: Namo Fazil vs. TBD
Flyweight: Adriano Moraes vs. TBD
Welterweight: Jason Jackson vs. TBD
Featherweight: David Mgoyan vs. TBD
130-pound catchweight: Aline Pereira vs. Jade Masson-Wong
165-pound catchweight: Chris Avila vs. TBD