RONDA ROUSEY VS. GINA CARANO IS OFFICIAL FOR JAKE PAUL’S MVP PROMOTIONS!
Los Angeles, CA (February 17th, 2026) — Ronda Rousey, 39, (12-2), is officially coming out of retirement to face fellow pioneer Gina Carano, 43, (7-1), in a highly anticipated mixed martial arts return on May 16, 2026. This bout, announced on February 17, 2026, will headline Netflix’s inaugural live MMA broadcast as part of a partnership with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions
The matchup marks Rousey’s first MMA competition in nearly a decade, since her last UFC appearance in December 2016.
The fight will take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles (Inglewood), California, with five rounds of five minutes each, contested at featherweight (145 lbs) using 4oz gloves.The event will be live and exclusive on Netflix at no additional cost for subscribers.
Rousey is the first female UFC champion, with 6 consecutive title defenses. She is also a UFC Hall of Famer. In other sports, she is an Olympic Bronze Medalist in Judo in 2008, and she is also a 3-time WWE Women’s Champion
Both fighters are credited with bringing women’s MMA into the mainstream. Rousey stated this fight is “for all MMA fans past, present, and future” and noted that the return has been “9 months in the making” following her most recent pregnancy.
This event marks Netflix’s first-ever live MMA broadcast, following its expansion into other live sports, such as boxing and WWE.
Before this announcement, Rousey had been living a private life focused on motherhood since leaving WWE in 2023. Training videos she posted in late 2025 fueled rumors of a return.
Gina Carano’s last professional MMA fight was a first-round TKO loss to Cris Cyborg on August 15, 2009, at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg. This bout was for the inaugural Strikeforce women’s featherweight title and marked the first time women headlined a major MMA event.
A formal press conference for the event is scheduled for March 5, 2026, at the Intuit Dome.
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