Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano discuss their upcoming battle on Netflix’s first-ever live MMA fight.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix
Fans are anxiously awaiting the upcoming fight on Saturday, May 16, between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. When the two legends step into the spotlight as the headliners of Netflix’s first-ever live MMA event, it will be history in the making.
This moment is bigger than a single fight card; it’s a statement about women’s sports overall. Rousey and Carano are two of the most recognizable women ever to break through combat sports. Now they’re fronting the streamer’s next major live sports gamble, signaling not only how far women’s MMA has come, but also how serious Netflix is about expanding its footprint beyond boxing and into the chaos, spectacle, and mainstream draw of fight culture itself.
Both legendary MMA trailblazers had previously retired, but the streamer lured them back. Each acknowledged the excitement and pressure of an event of this magnitude. This is a return for Carano, whose last professional fight was on August 15, 2009, when she lost to Cris Cyborg in a first-round technical knockout in a Strikeforce title bout.
Ronda Rousey says her upcoming live Netflix MMA fight against Gina Carano will be her last.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix
What Ronda Rousey Said About Retirement
Rousey has stated that Saturday’s fight will be her last. Her last fight was on December 30, 2016, when she lost to Amanda Nunes in a first-round technical knockout at UFC 207.
“It feels like almost every fight I’ve ever had has been in front of a bigger audience and had higher stakes than the last,” said Rousey days before her final return. “So this final fight, being broadcast to the largest audience in MMA history, while taking on the juggernaut the UFC has become to give fighters the leverage to negotiate for better pay, seems like the perfect climax to my story as a fighter.”
Gina Carano says she’s never worked harder to prepare for a fight.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix
Gina Carano’s First Fight in Years
Carano, who has not confirmed this as her final fight, said she’s never worked harder to prepare for a match. “Training for this fight has been both one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and already one of the most rewarding. I think I’ll only be able to see the magnitude of this in hindsight, as with most things I’ve done in life. But what I can say is this fight and the fighters on this card, through MVP and Netflix, have been a refreshing wave I hope continues to ripple after this fight is done. It has breathed some hope into the MMA community while also reaching far beyond. This can only be an inspiring moment because once again, here we are pushing the boundaries of what some think is impossible.”
This historic super fight will air live globally on Netflix, and the fight card also includes Nate Diaz versus Mike Perry, and Francis Ngannou taking on Philipe Lins.
The Rousey vs. Carano preliminary card begins at 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT on Netflix’s Tudum and MVP’s YouTube Channel, with the main card starting at 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT, live only on Netflix.
(L-R) Francis N’gannou, Nate Diaz, Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano, Mike Perry and Philipe Lins.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix
How Netflix Entered Live MMA
Gabe Spitzer, who serves as Vice President of Sports at Netflix, discussed luring the two legendary MMA fighters out of retirement. “Both of them had walked away from the sport with nothing left to prove, so the conversation wasn’t, ‘Can we convince you to come out of retirement?’ It was, ‘Can we build something worthy of you coming back?’ And in partnership with MVP, we’re not just bringing Ronda and Gina together for our first-ever MMA fight, we’re setting the stage for a history-making, landmark event.”
Before this fight, Rousey had 12 wins and two losses, nine submissions, and three knockouts. Carano had seven wins and one loss, one submission, and three knockouts. Though Carano had fewer total fights, both had three knockout wins, while Rousey dominated with submissions.
Their fighting styles differ: Rousey is known primarily for grappling and submissions, especially armbars, whereas Carano is more striking-oriented with a larger share of wins from punches and kicks.
This event is part of a larger sports story as Netflix expands its live footprint beyond boxing. The Rousey vs. Carano match-up is just the beginning and serves as the marquee event that will elevate women in the sport.
Netflix is Dedicated to Live Sports
Spitzer revealed how the streamer plans to create more events like this that are intended to drive the cultural conversation. “We have an incredible lineup of fights on this card, including Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry and Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins on the main card, but it was clear that Rousey vs. Carano is the headline event. In a male-dominated sport, these two women stand out as leaders not just for women in MMA, but for the sport as a whole.”
He also spoke to the streamer’s past successes and future plans. “Building off the success of Taylor vs. Serrano 3 last year and looking towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup next year, by bringing Ronda and Gina together, we hope to spotlight the impact these women have had in elevating women in sports. They continue to push the boundaries they have already broken down, rebuilt, and broken down again.”
No matter whose hand is raised at the end of the night on Saturday, the bigger victory belongs to women’s combat sports. The real story is how two pioneers, who retired long ago, have returned to prove they can still headline a global stage and command a spotlight that has historically been reserved almost exclusively for men.
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