Gina Carano offers empathy after Sean Strickland’s Ronda Rousey tirade
Gina Carano has responded to Sean Strickland’s viral tirade about her upcoming fight with Ronda Rousey by framing his comments as coming from pain rather than engaging in a back‑and‑forth war of words.
Carano was asked about Strickland after the former UFC middleweight champion mocked the Netflix‑backed Rousey vs Carano comeback fight and dismissed the matchup as “two middle‑aged women” that he had no interest in watching. Strickland had already drawn criticism for saying women’s MMA “sucked” when Carano fought, suggesting Rousey would “steamroll” her, and cracking jokes about Rousey’s past abusive relationship while claiming that women have been “empowered too much.”
Those comments, made during recent media appearances promoting his bout with Anthony Hernandez, triggered a wave of backlash from fans and media who labeled the remarks sexist and disrespectful to women’s sport.
Gina Carano reacts to Sean Strickland’s Rousey comments says she’ll just pray for him
Carano, 43, declined to match Strickland’s tone. Speaking during fight week media and in clips shared by outlets including FightHype and Happy Punch on social platforms, she said she doesn’t spend energy on his opinions and views them as coming from a place of hurt.
“I think his words are sadly coming from a hurt place. Hurt people hurt people,” Carano said, calling Strickland “a bit exploited” and arguing that “that pain is on full display.” She added, “All you can do is pray for that man,” making it clear she sees his outbursts as a reflection of his own struggles more than a serious critique of her fight with Rousey.
Instead of turning the story into a personal feud, Carano tried to redirect the conversation toward what she believes the matchup represents. The former Strikeforce star, who last fought in 2009 before moving into acting, described herself as someone who will defend her home, kids and personal safety, and said she wants “Viking ass women” in society who are ready to do the same.
In her view, the Rousey fight is about showing that women can be physically capable and willing to protect themselves, and she argued that even someone like Strickland would want his nieces and daughters to have that same ability.
Carano vs Rousey, scheduled for May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and set to stream globally on Netflix, brings together two of the most recognizable names in the history of women’s MMA. Carano was one of the sport’s first mainstream faces with a 7‑1 record and high‑profile Strikeforce bouts, while Rousey went on to become the UFC’s inaugural women’s bantamweight champion and a crossover attraction after her 2016 exit from the cage.
Their long‑discussed meeting, finally made for 2026 after both spent years away from competition, has become a lightning rod for debate over age, relevance and the way women fighters are still talked about at the highest level of the sport.
Carano’s choice to respond to Strickland with empathy and a focus on healing, while doubling down on messages of self‑defence and strong femininity, stands in contrast to the harsh tone that pushed his comments into the spotlight in the first place.
