Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano to Headline Historic Netflix MMA Event

The two trailblazers of women's MMA will clash in the first live professional MMA event on the streaming platform.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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Nearly a decade after retiring from mixed martial arts, Ronda Rousey is returning to the cage for a long-awaited showdown with fellow pioneer Gina Carano. The bout, promoted by Most Valuable Promotions, will stream live on Netflix on May 16 at Intuit Dome, marking the platform's first foray into live professional MMA.

Why it matters

Rousey and Carano were instrumental in bringing visibility and legitimacy to women's MMA. Their fight is considered the ultimate 'what if' matchup in the sport's history, and its placement on the Netflix platform underscores the growing popularity and mainstream acceptance of MMA.

The details

The five-round main event will be contested at 145 pounds under the Unified Rules of MMA, with five-minute rounds and 4-ounce gloves inside a hexagon cage. A kickoff press conference is set for March 5, with additional bouts to be announced.

  • The fight is scheduled for May 16, 2026 at Intuit Dome.
  • The kickoff press conference will take place on March 5, 2026.

The players

Ronda Rousey

A bronze medalist in judo at the 2008 Olympics, she became the UFC's first female signee and its inaugural women's bantamweight champion, defending her title six straight times between 2013 and 2015. She retired in 2016 after knockout losses but later transitioned to WWE, where she captured multiple championships. In 2018, she became the first woman inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

Gina Carano

With a 7-1 record and a Muay Thai background, she helped bring visibility to women's MMA before Rousey's ascent, headlining the first major women's MMA main event in 2009 against Cris Cyborg under the Strikeforce banner. After that loss, she stepped away from competition and built a Hollywood résumé, appearing in projects such as Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool and the Disney+ series The Mandalorian.

Most Valuable Promotions

The company founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, which is promoting the Rousey-Carano fight, is making its first foray into MMA after promoting several high-profile boxing cards.

Netflix

The streaming platform is hosting its first live professional MMA event with the Rousey-Carano fight, underscoring its growing investment in live sports programming.

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What they’re saying

“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 (Press Release)

“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. 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.”

— Gina Carano (Press Release)

What’s next

Tickets for Rousey vs. Carano go on sale Thursday, March 5 via Ticketmaster. Fans can also tune in as Rousey and Carano meet face-to-face at the Rousey vs. Carano Kickoff Press Conference on Thursday, March 5 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

The takeaway

The Rousey-Carano fight represents a historic moment for women's MMA, bringing together two of the sport's most influential figures in the first live professional MMA event on Netflix. It underscores the growing mainstream acceptance and popularity of the sport, and will undoubtedly captivate MMA fans around the world.