Ronda Rousey to fight Gina Carano in historic MMA return on Netflix

UFC legend Ronda Rousey will fight Gina Carano in May in an historic Netflix bout on May 16 - a decade after announcing her retirement.

The long-awaited meeting between the two icons will be staged at the 18,000-seat Intuit Dome in California and will be the first MMA fight to be shown live on the streaming platform.

UFC Hall-Of-Famer Rousey, 39, is considered the biggest female MMA star of all time and was the first woman to sign with the UFC and win a UFC belt before hanging up her gloves in 2016 and briefly competing in the WWE until 2022.

Carano, 43, retired from MMA following her loss to Cris Cyborg in 2009 and has since appeared on the big screen with cameos in Hollywood blockbusters 'Fast and Furious 6' and 'Deadpool'.

Announcing the fight - which will be over five rounds at 145 pounds - Rousey posted on X: "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!

"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."

Carano said: "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 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."

The fight is being promoted by social media star and boxer Jake Paul through his company 'Most Valuable Promotions' (MVP), and Paul added: "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."

Rousey is a decorated all-round athlete, having also won an Olympic bronze medal in judo. In 2025, she admitted severe concussion complications led to her retirement and is required to undergo 'concussion battery testing' before facing Carano.

For long-time MMA fans, Rousey v Carano is the super-fight that never happened, with the latter retiring a few years before her fellow American made her professional debut. Rousey has a 12-2 record while Carano is 7-1.