Ronda Rousey Will Fight in 2026: Opponent, Date, Location

Now, nearly a decade after Rousey's last fight and seventeen years since Carano competed, their paths will finally cross in a dream matchup, albeit far past their competitive primes.

Rousey vs. Carano on Netflix 

Netflix Sports dropped a promotional video for the event on social media platforms (via Netflix Sports on X):

The bout will be professionally sanctioned under the Unified Rules of MMA, contested over five five-minute rounds at a 145-pound catchweight, with both athletes competing inside a hexagon cage using four-ounce gloves. 

The event also marks Netflix’s first live MMA bout. The streaming platform continues its aggressive expansion into live combat sports following successful boxing events, including a record-breaking live stream of Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor 3 last year.

A kickoff press conference is scheduled for March 5 at the Intuit Dome, with additional fights on the card to be announced in the coming weeks.

“Rowdy” Steps Out of Retirement

Rousey, 39, has not competed in MMA since her 48-second knockout loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016, a defeat that followed her shocking upset at the hands of Holly Holm the previous year. The former UFC bantamweight champion owns a 12-2 professional record and defended her title six consecutive times. 

After retiring from MMA, Rousey had a pro-wrestling run from 2018 to 2022, becoming a multiple-time WWE champion before stepping away from competition entirely.

Rousey revealed she initially approached UFC CEO Dana White about making the fight happen, but those discussions did not materialize into an agreement with the promotion where she became a Hall of Famer. 

The former champion explained to ESPN that the idea came to her over a year ago when she was pregnant and saw Carano in an interview, recognizing that a comeback goal might benefit them both. 

Watch the ESPN interview with Rousey and SportsCenter’s Joe Fortenbaugh here:

"I reached out to Dana and asked if he would be interested in it," Rousey told Fortenbaugh. "It didn't exactly work out with the UFC, but it led us to here today."

Rousey framed the bout as a celebration of the sport's history, saying in a statement to ESPN, "This is for all MMA fans past, present, and future."

Carano Returns to MMA After Hollywood Career

Carano, 43, returns after an even longer absence, having last fought in August 2009 when she lost by TKO to Cris Cyborg in a Strikeforce title bout, the only blemish on her 7-1 professional record. 

After her MMA career, Carano transitioned to acting after retiring and appeared in major films including "Fast & Furious 6" and "Deadpool," as well as the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian," before her high-profile controversial departure from that project in 2021.

Both women expressed deep mutual respect in announcing the fight, with Carano noting that Rousey approached her respectfully and acknowledged the doors Carano opened for her career. 

"This is an honor," Carano said in her statement to ESPN. "I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win, and I anticipate it will not come easy, which I welcome."

She also posted news about the event on her X account, edited with a post-fight speech from former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya:

Jake Paul and Netflix Venture into MMA

This upcoming fight also marks the first time Jake Paul’s promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions, will promote an MMA bout after establishing itself as a major player in women’s boxing promotion. 

"Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are the two most formative figures in the history of women's MMA," Paul and Bidarian said in a joint statement within their press release. "They are the icons who shattered the glass ceiling and helped build the foundation this sport stands on.”

Gabe Spitzer, Netflix vice president of sports, added, “After the record-breaking success in boxing, we wanted our first MMA event to be truly legendary. We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with MVP and bring together Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano to deliver the kind of high-stakes, icon-driven competition that our members crave.”