Ronda Rousey is set to make a surprise return to mixed martial arts later this year.
It’s been nearly 10 years since Rousey last competed in the UFC, but she will be fighting her first MMA bout since 2016 when she takes on Gina Carano on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
Rousey is a pioneering mixed martial artist with a record-setting career as the UFC’s first and most dominant female fighter and bantamweight champion.
She became the first woman to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and catapulted the WWE women’s division toward its first-ever WrestleMania main event.
When she returns to the sport, she will fight Carano at 145 pounds.
Rousey was a pioneer in women’s MMA in the UFC.
The event, the first MMA bout sponsored by Most Valuable Promotions, will be professionally sanctioned under the Uniform Rules of MMA and will feature five five-minute rounds using 4-ounce gloves inside a hexagonal cage.
“I’ve been waiting to announce this for a long time. Gina Carano and I are going to pitch in the biggest superfight in women’s martial arts history,” Rousey said.
“This is for all MMA fans past, present and future. There’s much more to come.”
“Ronda came to me and said there was only one person who would make a comeback, and it was her dream to make this match happen between us,” Carano said.
“She thanked me for opening the door to her career and respectfully asked me to host this match. It’s an honor. I believe we can finish this match with a win and I expect it won’t be easy, but I welcome it.”
“This is as much for the fans and the mixed martial arts community as it is for Ronda and I. What a great time to be alive.”
“MVP has always been powered by chaos and delivering some of the biggest moments in global martial arts, and today we are officially bringing that energy to MMA for the first time,” said Most Valuable Promotions co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidalian.
“The MVP belief in women’s boxing was driven by the success achieved by Ronda Rousey, who was the biggest star in the entire sport of MMA throughout her career.
“Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are two of the most formative figures in the history of women’s mixed martial arts. They are icons who shattered glass ceilings and helped lay the foundation for the sport.”
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