Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix today announced a colossal MMA showdown headlined by the return of former UFC champion and Olympic medalist Ronda Rousey (12-2, 9 Submissions, 3 KOs) vs. combat sports trailblazer Gina Carano (7-1, 1 Submission, 3 KOs) in a featherweight bout at 145lbs. This event will be professionally sanctioned under the Unified Rules of MMA and contested over five, 5-minute rounds using 4oz gloves, inside a hexagon cage. It will take place on Saturday, May 16, at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, CA, and will stream live globally, only on Netflix at no additional cost to its 300+ million members. More fights on the card will be announced at a later date.
Rousey vs. Carano represents a historic moment in combat sports as Netflix’s first-ever live MMA broadcast and MVP’s inaugural MMA event. The matchup unites Rousey, the woman who shattered the glass ceiling for female fighters and became the face of an entire, sport male or female, with Carano, the sport’s first true crossover star in a highly anticipated fight that has been years in the making.
This event follows the unprecedented global success of MVP and Netflix’s boxing partnership, which has redefined the sport for the streaming era. The collaboration reached a historic peak in November 2024 with Paul vs. Tyson, which shattered records as the most-streamed sporting event of all time with 125 million viewers (Live+1), while the Taylor vs. Serrano 2 co-main event became the most-watched professional women’s sports event in U.S. history. Following the massive 2025 successes of Taylor vs. Serrano 3 and Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua: Judgment Day, MVP and Netflix are now bringing that same disruptive energy to Mixed Martial Arts.
Rousey and Carano will meet face-to-face for the Rousey vs. Carano Kickoff Press Conference on Thursday, March 5 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. The press conference will be hosted by renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani.
Ronda Rousey completely transformed the world of martial arts, with a record-setting career as the UFC’s first and most dominant female fighter and Bantamweight Champion. She was the first woman inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and catapulted the women’s WWE division towards its first WrestleMania main event in history. The self-proclaimed “Rowdy” Ronda
Rousey, Baddest Woman on the Planet, was the first America woman to win an Olympic medal in judo since it became official event. Rousey is also a New York Times bestselling author, one of the most-followed female athletes on social media, and an actress who has appeared in both the Fast and the Furious and The Expendables franchises. She is married to former UFC heavyweight contender Travis Browne. They live in Los Angeles with their two sons and two daughters.
Been waiting so long to announce this: Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest super fight in women’s combat sport history!” said Ronda Rousey. “And we’re partnering with the fighter-first promotion MVP as well as the biggest and baddest streamer on the planet Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present and future. More to come… much more”
Gina “Conviction” Carano had a pioneering and impactful career in MMA, compiling a professional record of 7–1–0. Before transitioning to MMA, she built a strong foundation in Muay Thai with a record of 12–1–1. She is widely recognized as a key figure in popularizing and legitimizing women’s MMA before women were invited to compete in the UFC. Due to her skill, marketability, and mainstream appeal, she was often called the “Face of Women’s MMA.” Carano headlined the first major MMA event featuring two women in the main event alongside Cris Cyborg in 2009, marking a landmark moment in women’s MMA visibility. Following her historic fighting career, Carano transitioned into an acting career, becoming a commanding presence in Hollywood action cinema and major franchises, including Haywire, Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool, and The Mandalorian.
“Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for and it has been her dream to make this fight happen between us,” said Gina Carano. “She thanked me for opening up doors for her in her career and was respectful in asking for this fight to happen. This is an honor. I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win and I anticipate it will not come easy, which I welcome. This is as much for Ronda and me as it is for the fans and mixed martial arts community. What a time to be alive.”
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