Ronda Rousey has declared that her upcoming matchup against Gina Carano will serve as the conclusion to her mixed martial arts career. She revealed this decision during a recent appearance on “The Ariel Helwani Podcast.” The highly anticipated fight is scheduled for May 16, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
This bout will headline the inaugural MMA event presented by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, which will be streamed live on Netflix. The fighters will compete under unified MMA rules in a hexagon cage, with five rounds lasting five minutes each and utilizing 4-ounce gloves. A press conference was held on March 10, 2026, in Inglewood, where Rousey and Carano faced off. The undercard also features notable matchups, including Junior dos Santos vs. Robelis Despaigne and Francis Ngannou, as well as Muhammad Mokaev vs. Adriano Moraes, and Salahdine Parnasse vs. Kenneth Cross.
Rousey Reflects on Retirement Plans Ahead of Carano Comeback
Rousey described her fight with Carano as a dream matchup and the ideal way to bid farewell to her MMA career. She shared with Helwani that she had promised her husband, Travis Browne, that this would be her last fight, even convincing him to support her involvement in post-fight promotional activities. Her husband remains against her continuing to fight. Rousey also expressed her desire to have more children and her plans to write graphic novels. She stated that additional financial gain would not influence her decision, as her family already enjoys considerable financial freedom.
“I promised my husband up and down that this is the last one. He’s the one that I really got to convince to get on board for this promoter shit afterwards. He’s not 100% sold on it. He’s not going for the fighting at all after this. This is the dream fight. This is the absolute pinnacle… This is the perfect way to end it.”
This return to the octagon comes almost a decade after Rousey’s most recent MMA fight, a first-round knockout loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 on December 30, 2016. Prior to that, Holly Holm defeated her by knockout at UFC 193 in 2015. Rousey had previously cited concussions sustained from judo and MMA as significant factors in her departure from the sport in 2016. She holds a professional MMA record of 12 wins and 2 losses, with nine of her victories coming by knockout.
Carano, meanwhile, is making a comeback after a 17-year hiatus, her last fight being a knockout loss to Cris Cyborg in 2009. Her professional record stands at 7 wins and 1 loss, with three wins by knockout. While betting odds currently favor Rousey due to her perceived grappling advantage, Carano is acknowledged as a significant striking threat.
Rousey made history by becoming the UFC’s first female champion in 2013, successfully defending her bantamweight title six times before her losses. She transitioned to professional wrestling in 2018, even headlining WrestleMania, and departed WWE in 2023 to focus on her family. Rousey was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018.
The event is fast approaching, with Rousey currently 39 years old and Carano 44.