Ronda Rousey Says She Owes Gina Carano Ahead of Netflix Fight — Here’s Why

For a long time, Rousey never truly seemed serious about returning. Following her career from Strikeforce to the UFC and WWE, the arc felt complete. Training footage would surface on social media, but after her WWE stint and multiple interviews revealing the head trauma she endured — including a long, hidden history of concussions throughout her judo and MMA career — stepping back into the cage felt unlikely.

She had openly discussed protecting her health and moving forward with life outside fighting.

So why now? And why Carano?

Gina Carano is widely known as a trailblazing pioneer of women’s MMA and a major star of Strikeforce and EliteXC from 2006 to 2009. Long before women headlined major cards, Carano proved they could draw. Beyond fighting, she became a Hollywood presence with roles in  Haywire, Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool, and the Disney+ series The Mandalorian.

Rousey has consistently stated that Carano paved the way for women in MMA.

And in her own words, the motivation runs deeper than competition in an interview with ESPN.

‘I was nine months pregnant and I saw a video of Gina giving an interview and she didn’t look good. She gained like an unhealthy amount of weight and my first thought was like, oh my God, what can I do? What can I do to help?’

She continued, ‘She’s the one woman not only in MMA that doesn’t owe me a thing but that I owe immensely.’

Rousey reflected on her own lowest moments — feeling depressed and giving up on herself — and how having a goal reignited her passion. ‘I always said that Gina is the one person I would come back to fight for,’ she said. ‘She needs this fight… and the more that I thought about it, I was like, you know what, I need this. I really need this fight.’

Rousey revealed she reached out to Dana White to explore the possibility. It ‘didn’t exactly work out with the UFC,’ but the path eventually led elsewhere.

The title question answers itself. Rousey believes Carano built the runway for everything that followed. Now, years later, she feels it’s her turn to return the favor.