The bout is scheduled for May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and will be broadcast exclusively by Netflix, the streaming site’s first-ever live MMA broadcast. It will be contested at the featherweight limit of 145 pounds, with five, 5-minute rounds using 4-ounce gloves.
Rousey, 39, (12-2, 9 Submissions, 3 KOs) was at one time the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but retired in 2016 following two straight losses and subsequently made a foray in professional wrestling with World Wrestling Entertainment.
‘Been waiting so long to announce this: Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest super fight in women’s combat sport history!’ Rousey said. ‘And we’re partnering with the fighter-first promotion MVP as well as the biggest and baddest streamer on the planet Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present and future. More to come… much more.’
The 43-year-old Carano (7-1, 1 Submission, 3 KOs) retired after her loss to Cris Cyborg in 2019 and became an actress, appearing in The Expendables 3, Furious 7, Entourage, and Disney+’s The Mandalorian. She was fired from The Mandalorian in 2021 following controversial social media posts. Carano sued Disney for wrongful termination, and the lawsuit ended in a settlement.
‘Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for and it has been her dream to make this fight happen between us,’ Carano said. ‘She thanked me for opening up doors for her in her career and was respectful in asking for this fight to happen. This is an honor. I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win and I anticipate it will not come easy, which I welcome. This is as much for Ronda and me as it is for the fans and mixed martial arts community. What a time to be alive.’