Merab Dvalishvili: Gina Carano Beats Ronda Rousey and Embarasses Judo
Merab Dvalishvili, former UFC bantamweight titleholder, trained recently with Gina Carano at Syndicate MMA. He appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show on April 29, 2026, to discuss her preparation for a fight against Ronda Rousey.
Why Merab Dvalishvili Thinks Gina Carano Crushes Ronda Rousey on Netflix
Dvalishvili said Carano impressed him in training sessions that began as early as March. He picked her to win. “I was surprised how good [Gina Carano] is. Ronda Rousey has a judo background, and I also have a judo background. I think Gina Carano will win this fight… It’s gonna make UFC fighters look bad, and she’s gonna make judo also look bad, but I think she’s gonna win.”
He pointed to her gym work. Carano changed her physique and sharpened her methods. She trains at Xtreme Couture and posted about sessions with Dvalishvili, calling it electric.
Dvalishvili holds a seven-year background in judo and sambo before MMA. Rousey earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in judo and owns a fourth-degree black belt. Carano enters with a 7-1 pro MMA record, her last bout a 2009 loss to Cris Cyborg via first-round TKO punches.
Rousey carries a 12-2 MMA record with nine submissions, three knockouts. She retired after a 2016 loss and has not fought since. The UFC pursued this pairing during Rousey’s title run but never booked it.
Carano competed from 2006 to 2009, posting three knockouts, one submission, three decisions. She shifted to acting, including a Mandalorian role cut in 2021 after social media posts. Both fighters, now in their 40s, Carano born 1982, Rousey 1987, return after long layoffs.
The matchup headlines Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA card on May 16, 2026, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Netflix streams the event live worldwide starting at 8 PM ET, its debut in live MMA broadcasts. Other fights include Nate Diaz versus Mike Perry and Francis Ngannou versus Philipe Lins.
Dvalishvili seeks a bantamweight title rematch with Petr Yan after a December 2025 loss. His endorsement adds weight from a current top fighter. Carano meets Rousey in a hexagonal cage before 18,300 fans. Fans await the clash of Rousey’s grappling against Carano’s Muay Thai base. Dvalishvili‘s take stirs talk weeks out.
