With all eyes on the UFC during International Fight Week, it’s often a chance for stars of the past to return to the spotlight in some shape or form.
It appears to be no different in 2022, as MMA-standout-turned-Hollywood-star Gina Carano addressed the possibility of a blockbuster bout against ex-UFC champion Ronda Rousey during an interview on FoxNews.
“You know what? Just never put it past me,” Carano said. “It could happen. It would be six months from now because I have a lot of stuff I need to do.”
The query was in response to a statement Rousey made regarding Carano during a recent appearance on Kurt Angle’s podcast.
“There’s only one person I would come back for,” Rousey said then. “I’ve said it a million times, it’s not like it’s something new but for Gina, Gina Carano. She’s the reason why I got into fighting, she’s the reason why I knew it was a possibility. I will always be forever grateful.”
The possibility of a Carano-Rousey fight was broached in 2014, when UFC president Dana White seemed confident that negotiations were moving forward for a championship showdown between the two stars by year’s end. Of course, that never came to fruition.
The 40-year-old Carano hasn’t competed since 2009, when she suffered a first-round technical knockout loss to Cristiane Justino in the main event of a Strikeforce card. The former Xtreme Couture member began her professional career with seven consecutive triumphs, besting the likes of Kaitlin Young, Tonya Evinger and Julie Kedzie. In recent years, Carano has enjoyed roles on films such as “Haywire,” “Fast and Furious 6,” “Deadpool” as well as the popular Disney+ series “The Mandalorian.” Carano was later removed from the Stars Wars spinoff due to comments made on social media. However, she remains very involved in the film industry and suggested that a confrontation with Rousey could come on the screen instead of in the cage.
“I really want to create, I want to direct, I want to produce,” Carano said. “I want to give Ronda Rousey a job in one of my movies, so maybe there is something we can do there.”
Rousey was the biggest star in female MMA and one of the top draws in the entire sport as she began her career with 12 consecutive victories. She left the UFC following back-to-back knockout losses against Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes to work for World Wrestling Entertainment. Thus far, a fight against Carano is the only MMA-related matchup that seems to pique the Olympic judoka’s interest.
“It’s a respect thing, not like a, ‘F—k you. I’m coming to get you.’ It’s just like, ‘Hey, if you ever wanna pull that card out, it’s there.’ I love her. Thank you Gina for everything you’ve done.”
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