Ronda Rousey Throws Sly Jibe to Dana White’s UFC After Making Historic Return Against Gina Carano

Jake Paul's MVP announces UFC veteran Ronda Rousey taking on WMMA pioneer Gina Carano in a superfight on Netflix.

Ronda Rousey Throws Sly Jibe to Dana White’s UFC After Making Historic Return Against Gina Carano

Ronda Rousey will take Gina Carano in a Netflix MMA bout (via X)

In Short
  • Ronda Rousey will face Gina Carano in a historic MMA fight on May 16, streaming exclusively on Netflix.
  • The matchup, backed by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions, rivals UFC's Dana White, who had previously sought to make this fight happen.
  • Both fighters are returning from long absences, with Rousey last competing in 2016 and Carano not fighting since 2009.

Throughout its history, MMA has witnessed several female fighters who ruled their respective divisions across different competitive eras. Among them, Ronda Rousey stands out as one of the most popular, influential, and decorated champions in women’s mixed martial arts history.

The former UFC bantamweight queen announced her retirement from the promotion back in 2016 after suffering consecutive knockout losses. However, Rousey has now shocked the combat sports world with a surprise fight announcement against fellow pioneer Gina Carano.

Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions officially announced that the two iconic female fighters will square off in an anticipated MMA showdown scheduled for May 16. The highly publicized event will take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and will stream exclusively worldwide on Netflix.

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. And we’re partnering with the fighter-first promotion MVP as well as the biggest and baddest streamer on the planet Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present and future. More to come… much more.

Ronda Rousey via X

With Jake Paul’s MVP backing this blockbuster matchup, the event now stands in a direct rivalry with UFC CEO Dana White. The UFC boss had long expressed interest in making this fight happen, while also maintaining a public feud with Paul. Rousey made sure to take a sly jab at White in her fight announcement post.

Ronda Rousey, the former UFC bantamweight champion, is preparing to compete again after suffering consecutive stoppage defeats to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. Those back-to-back knockout losses in 2015 and 2016 ultimately marked the end of her dominant championship reign inside the octagon.

“Rowdy” has been absent from mixed martial arts competition for nearly a decade, focusing instead on a successful professional wrestling career with WWE. Now, after years away from active competition, Rousey is stepping back into the cage, aiming to reignite her legacy.

On the other hand, Gina Carano has not fought professionally since her lone career defeat to Cris Cyborg under Strikeforce in August 2009. With the official announcement now confirmed, Carano’s long-discussed comeback has finally come to fruition.

Fight fans react to Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano Netflix MMA bout

For years, a potential showdown between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano was circulated heavily within MMA. Although negotiations reportedly advanced several times, contractual disputes and promotional differences ultimately prevented the bout from materializing inside the octagon.

Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano
Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano (via X)

Previously, Carano publicly stated that UFC CEO Dana White pressured her to accept the blockbuster matchup proposed back in 2014. The fighter had an active acting career and needed some time to prepare for the fight, which ultimately fell through. 

So you’re going to have to give me some time to build a team which is not an easy thing… You got to sit on this for six months, Dana. And then, the next day Dana was out there talking about me, talking about my name, telling people that they were going to sign me. And I don’t even have a team yet. I was like ‘that’s not what we discussed. You were supposed to give me at least six months to find a team.’ And then he started trying to put on the pressure through the media.

Gina Carano via The Ariel Helwani Show 

Nevertheless, the official announcement has sparked widespread reactions across the combat sports community.

With Jake Paul’s MVP backing this blockbuster matchup, the event now stands in direct rivalry to UFC president Dana White. White had long expressed interest in making this fight happen, while also maintaining a public feud with Paul. Nevertheless, the official announcement has sparked widespread reactions across the combat sports community.

As expected, many fans were shocked following the announcement and shared their excitement for Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano. Others shared concerns surrounding their age and ring rust, which might affect overall fight quality. 

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