Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey is set to make a shock return to MMA after 10 years out of the cage.
Rousey (12-2, 3 KOs), a trailblazer for the sport, has not fought since suffering a first-round knockout loss to Amanda Nunes in December 2016.
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But under the banner of Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, the 39-year-old American will clash with Gina Carano (7-1, 3 KOs) in Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome on Saturday 16 May, with the fight to be streamed live on Netflix.
The bout will be fought at featherweight (145lbs) and is scheduled to be contested for five rounds, the length given to title fights and main events in the UFC.
“Been waiting so long to announce this: me and Gina Carano are going to throw down in the biggest super fight in women’s combat sport history,” said Rousey.
“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.”
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Rousey became the most recognisable female personality in combat sports during her peak, blazing the trail in women’s MMA as the UFC’s inaugural bantamweight champion.
The submission specialist successfully defended her title six times, three of which via her signature armbar, before being knocked out by Holly Holm to relinquish the belt at UFC 193.
Ronda Rousey ended her UFC career with back-to-back losses (Getty)
Her subsequent defeat to Nunes proved her final MMA outing before jumping ship to professional wrestling, debuting in WWE in 2018 – the same year she earned her induction into the UFC Hall of Fame.
She went on to win three world titles in the promotion while also helping propel the WWE women’s division towards its first WrestleMania main event in history.
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Rousey is also an Olympic medallist, becoming the first American to podium in judo since it became an official event at the 2008 Beijing Games.
“MVP’s conviction in women’s boxing was driven by the success achieved by Ronda Rousey, who was the biggest star of the entire sport of MMA during her career,” said MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian.
Ronda Rousey alongside WWE higher-ups Stephanie McMahon and Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque in 2017 (Getty)
Rousey’s opponent, 43-year-old Carano, is also recognised as a pioneering figure in women’s MMA and has shared the cage with UFC champions before, facing and losing to Cris Cyborg in Strikeforce in 2009.
“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.
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“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. 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.”
