MMA: Ronda Rousey to come out of retirement to fight Gina Carano

Rousey admitted in 2025 that severe concussion issues led to her retirement from MMA.

For longtime MMA fans, Rousey vs. Carano is the superfight that never was; The latter retired a few years before his fellow American made his professional debut.

The UFC tried to make the matchup happen when Rousey was at the peak of her powers, but they couldn’t meet the terms.

Rousey has a 12-2 record, while Carano, 43, is 7-1, with her only loss coming against Cris Cyborg in her last match in 2009.

Carano, who became an actress after retiring, said Rousey approached her about the fight.

“Ronda came to me and said there was only one person she could come back to and that it was her dream to make this fight happen between us,” Carano said.

“He thanked me for opening doors for him in his career and was respectful in asking for this fight to happen.

“This is an honor. I believe that I will emerge victorious from this fight, and I expect that it will not be easy, and I welcome it.

“This is as much for Ronda and I as it is for the fans and the mixed martial arts community. What a time to be alive.”

Carano recently settled a lawsuit with Disney after she was fired from her role in the Star Wars franchise spin-off The Mandalorian in 2021 following comments in which she compared being a Republican in the United States to being Jewish during the Holocaust.

Jake Paul’s promotional team, Most Valuable Promotions, will produce the event in his first foray into MMA.

“Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are two of the most formative figures in women’s MMA history; they are icons who shattered the glass ceiling and helped build the foundation on which this sport stands,” Paul and Nakisa Bidarian said in a joint statement.

“MVP’s belief in women’s boxing stemmed from the success achieved by Ronda Rousey, the biggest star in the sport of MMA throughout her career.”