Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano MMA Fight Official for Netflix on May 16

Two MMA icons are returning to the sport for a huge fight. Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix announced today that former UFC Bantamweight Champion and WWE Superstar, Ronda Rousey, is returning to MMA against another returning competitor, Gina Carano, for a legendary dream match.

The fight will be contested at featherweight (145 pounds) and will be officially sanctioned under the Unified Rules of MMA, contested over five, five-minute rounds using 4oz gloves, inside a hexagon cage. It will also be streamed live globally on Netflix at no additional cost to existing subscribers.

The fight marks Netflix’s first-ever live MMA broadcast and MVP’s inaugural MMA event, featuring the trailblazer Rousey, who helped bring women’s MMA to UFC, and Gina Carano, the sport’s first-ever true crossover star, in a fight that’s years in the making.

For years, this fight looked like a fantasy that could only take place inside the minds of MMA fans, until now. At one point, UFC attempted to book a fight between Rousey and Carano when Rousey was the star of the UFC, and Carano had transitioned more into a career in movies and television. However, the fight fell apart in negotiations, with Carano blaming UFC President Dana White.

Speaking on today’s announcement via a press release, Rousey commented, “Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest super fight in women’s combat sport history!” She added, “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.”

Meanwhile, Gina Carano commented, “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.” She continued, “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.”

MVP Co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian also said in a joint statement:

“MVP has always been driven by disruption and delivering the biggest moments in combat sports on a global scale, and today we are officially bringing that energy to MMA for the first time. Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are the two most formative figures in the history of women’s MMA; they are the icons who shattered the glass ceiling and helped build the foundation this sport stands on. MVP’s conviction in women’s boxing was driven by the success achieved by Ronda Rousey, who was the biggest star of the entire sport of MMA during her career. Following the unprecedented success of our boxing partnership, we are proving that MVP and Netflix can create blockbuster live events in multiple sports that engage fans across generations. This is what we do.”

Gabe Spitzer, Netflix VP of Sports, also chimed in: “After the record-breaking success in boxing, we wanted our first MMA event to be truly legendary. We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with MVP and bring together Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano to deliver the kind of high-stakes, icon-driven competition that our members crave. These are more than just athletes—they are generational stars—and having them headline our MMA debut at the Intuit Dome is a defining moment for us.”

Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano MMA Fight To Stream Live on Netflix in May

This will be the 43-year-old Carano’s first fight in almost 17 years. She last fought in 2009, losing by knockout to Cristiane Justino Venâncio, aka Cris Cyborg, in 2009 in Strikeforce. Meanwhile, this will be the 39-year-old Rousey’s first MMA fight in nearly ten years. She last fought in December 2016, losing to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207.

After her last MMA fight, Rousey transitioned to a career in pro wrestling, signing with WWE. During her time in WWE, she continued her groundbreaking, trailblazing ways, becoming a part of the first-ever all-women’s main event at WrestleMania 35 in 2019.

Rousey ultimately parted ways with WWE in 2023. She last wrestled in November 2023, teaming up with her longtime friend Marina Shafir in Ring of Honor.

More fights on the card, along with full event details, will be announced at a later date. Rousey vs. Carano is scheduled for Saturday, May 16. It will be held at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Tickets for the event will go on sale on Thursday, March 5 at 10:00 am PT/1:00 pm ET on Ticketmaster. Fans can also sign up for the ticket pre-sale now at RouseyCarano.com.

Netflix also released a preview video for the MMA fight featuring Rousey and Carano, which you can check out below:

A LEGACY SHOWDOWN 🔥 #RouseyCarano

RONDA ROUSEY vs. GINA CARANO
Saturday May 16
LIVE only on Netflix pic.twitter.com/cybtQHNyPT

— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) February 17, 2026