Rousey casts comeback vs. Carano as fight against UFC 'monolith'

In a comeback bout, Ronda Rousey says her fight with Gina Carano would be the biggest fight for a showdown on May 16, 2026.

Both MMA fighters will be ending their long retirements for this buzzworthy clash.

Carano and Rousey held a news conference in Los Angeles together for the first time before their face-off at the Intuit Dome on May 16.

Rousey, 39, took aim at the modern UFC in a lengthy media appearance, praising its president Dana White and her opponent, before hitting back at claims her encounter with Carano is a “charity’ bout.

Rousey said, “The way things ended (in MMA) was really heartbreaking for me.”

“Now it’s become about changing the entire landscape of the sport and challenging the monolith that the UFC has become,” she added.

For context, Rousey was knocked out in her last UFC fights back in 2015 and 2016.

Commenting on the showdown, she added, “There are no two people in this sport with more international name recognition than me and Gina, except Cpnor (McGregor), but no one is going to sanction that.”

Both the MMA icons, following their announcement, switched to entertainment. 

Carano, turning 44 next month, hasn’t made a comeback in the cage since 2009, while the 39-year-old Rousey last fought in a 2016 bout before becoming a mother of two children.

But it appears the two MMA icons have neither walked away from MMA, and this fight makes it too exciting to ignore.

She revealed her longtime partner, whom she has married, Muay Thai fighter Kevin Ross, saying, “We only get to live once, and this makes me feel so alive.”

The fight, which is set for five five minute rounds, will be the main event at LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer’s lavish new arena south of downtown LA.

The bout, which is scheduled over five five-minute rounds, will be the main event at LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer's opulent new arena south of downtown Los Angeles.