Netflix un-cancels biggest fight in women's MMA history is finally happening

UFC champion Ronda Rousey will come out of her 10-year retirement to face Gina Carano in a mega-match MMA event on May 16, broadcast on Netflix in the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

The fight is a long-awaited dream fight between the two most influential personalities in the history of mixed martial arts for women. 

Rousey and Carano are featherweight fighters (145 pounds) competing in a professionally sanctioned five-round battle that will take place in a hexagon cage with four-ounce gloves.

"Been waiting so long to announce this: Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest super fight in women's combat sports history," Rousey said in a statement. 

"This is for all MMA fans past, present, and future," she added. 

It is the initial live mixed martial arts card in the history of Netflix and the debut MMA event by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), the events company of Jake Paul. MVP has also collaborated with Netflix in the high-profile boxing matches of Paul.

An Olympic judo champion, Rousey became the first and only female UFC bantamweight champion, with a record of 12-2 in its history, with six title defences between 2013 and 2015, before being defeated by Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes by two consecutive knockout blows. 

Before joining WWE, she became the first ever woman to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018.

Carano was the first female MMA superstar with a 7- 1 professional record. In 2009, she and Cris Cyborg were the first women to feature in a major MMA event. 

After her only career loss, Carano moved to Hollywood, appearing in such productions as Fast and Furious 6, Deadpool, and Disney + series The Mandalorian, in which she was fired in 2021 due to a social media scandal.

Carano divulged that Ronda came to him and told him that there is only one person whom she would do a comeback. She told me that I opened doors to her in her profession. This is an honor."

The coach of Carano later on in late last year confirmed that she was training once again, saying that the itch would never go away. Rousey last competed in MMA in 2016.

This is not only my privilege to Ronda and me, but also to the fans, Carano added. "What a time to be alive."