Ronda Rousey reveals why her Gina Carano bout is set to be her final fight
Ronda Rousey says her upcoming fight against Gina Carano marks the end of her MMA career. She made the statement during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani podcast. Rousey faces Carano on May 16, 2026, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The bout headlines the first MMA event from Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, streamed live on Netflix. Fighters compete in a hexagon cage over five five-minute rounds with 4-ounce gloves under unified MMA rules. A press conference occurred on March 10, 2026, in Inglewood, where both squared off. The full card includes Junior dos Santos vs. Robelis Despaigne, Francis Ngannou, Muhammad Mokaev vs. Adriano Moraes, and others like Salahdine Parnasse vs. Kenneth Cross.
Ronda Rousey opens up on retirement plan ahead of Gina Carano comeback bout
Rousey described the matchup as her dream fight and the right way to close her MMA chapter. She told Helwani she promised her husband Travis Browne this would be her last one, after convincing him to support the post-fight promotion work. He remains against any further fighting. Rousey added she wants more kids and plans to write graphic novels. Extra money would not sway her, as her family already has enough freedom.
“I promised my husband up and down that this is the last one. He’s the one that I really got to convince to get on board for this promoter shit afterwards. He’s not 100% sold on it. He’s not going for the fighting at all after this. This is the dream fight. This is the absolute pinnacle… This is the perfect way to end it.”
This return comes nearly a decade after Rousey’s last MMA bout, a first-round knockout loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 on December 30, 2016. Prior, Holly Holm knocked her out at UFC 193 in 2015. Rousey cited concussions from judo and MMA as key reasons for her 2016 exit. She holds a 12-2 record, with nine knockouts.
Carano enters off a 17-year layoff since a 2009 knockout loss to Cris Cyborg. Her record stands at 7-1, with three knockouts. Betting favors Rousey due to her grappling edge, though Carano poses a striking threat.
Rousey entered UFC history as its first women’s champion in 2013, defending the bantamweight title six times before her defeats. She joined WWE in 2018, headlined WrestleMania, and left in 2023 for family. Rousey entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018.
The event arrives just days from now, with Rousey at 39 and Carano at 44.
