After almost a decade away from the sport, Ronda Rousey will make a surprise return to the cage in 2026.
Rousey, who has not fought in MMA since 2016, after losing to Amanda Nunes, was one of the biggest stars in the UFC until the evening of UFC 193, when she lost her bantamweight title to Holly Holm.
After picking up her first defeat in 13 fights, Rousey was inactive for over a year before suffering a defeat to Nunes, a fight that lasted just 48 seconds into round one.
Soon, 'Rowdy' announced her retirement from MMA and pursued a career in the WWE, where she main-evented WrestleMania 35 against Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.
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But now, the 39-year-old will make a long-anticipated return to the cage and come up against 'combat sports trailblazer' Gina Carano in a featherweight bout at 145lbs, it has been confirmed.
Carano competed in Elite Xtreme Combat and Strikeforce from 2006 to 2009, where she compiled a 7-1 record. She was seen by many as the face of women's MMA before becoming an actress.
She last fought in 2009 after losing to Cris Cyborg in the inaugural Strikeforce Women's Championship title fight.
Three years later and Rousey became the first UFC bantamweight champion before defending her title on six occasions. She was also the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in judo.
Netflix announced on Tuesday that the event will be professionally sanctioned under the Unified Rules of MMA and contested over five, 5-minute rounds using 4oz gloves.
The event will take place on Saturday, May 16, at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California, and will stream live globally on Netflix at no additional cost.
More fights on the card will be announced at a later date.
Speaking about the upcoming bout against Carano, Rousey said: "I've 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."
She added: "This is for all MMA fans past, present and future. More to come… much more,"
Carano has also released a statement after the news was announced.
“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 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."
Carano added: "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.”
Rousey and Carano will meet face-to-face for the official kickoff press conference on Thursday, March 5 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. The press conference will be hosted by journalist Ariel Helwani.
"Rousey vs. Carano represents a historic moment in combat sports as Netflix’s first-ever live MMA broadcast and MVP’s inaugural MMA event," a statement from Netflix read.
"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."
Topics: UFC, Ronda Rousey, MMA
Jack Kenmare