Ronda Rousey is set to make a shocking return to mixed martial arts later this year.
It’s been nearly a decade since Rousey last fought in the UFC, but she’s set to compete in her first MMA fight since 2016 when she takes on Gina Carano on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
Rousey is a pioneering mixed martial artist with a record-breaking career as the UFC’s first and most dominant female fighter and bantamweight champion.
She was the first woman to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and elevated the women’s WWE division to the first WrestleMania main event in history.
In her return to the sport, she fights Carano at 145 pounds.
Rousey was a pioneer in women’s MMA in the UFC.
The event, the first MMA fight hosted by Most Valuable Promotions, is professionally sanctioned under the Unified Rules of MMA and will be fought over five five-minute rounds using four-ounce gloves inside a hexagonal cage.
“I’ve waited so long to announce this news: Me and Gina Carano are going to compete in the biggest super fight in the history of women’s combat sports,” Rousey said.
“This is for every MMA fan past, present and future. There’s a lot more to come… a lot more.”
“Ronda came to me and said there was only one person she would come back to and that it had been her dream to make this fight happen between us,” Carano said.
“She thanked me for opening the door for her career and graciously asked me to make this fight happen. It’s an honor. I believe I will win this fight and I don’t expect it to be easy. I welcome it.”
“This means a lot to the fans and the mixed martial arts community, but also to Ronda and I. It’s a great time to be alive.”
Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions, said: “MVP has always been at the forefront of innovation and delivering some of the biggest moments in combat sports around the world, and today we’re officially bringing that energy to MMA for the first time.
“MVP’s belief in women’s boxing is driven by the success of Ronda Rousey, who was the biggest star in the entire sport of MMA during her career.
“Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are two of the most important figures in the history of women’s MMA. They are icons who broke the glass ceiling and helped build the foundation on which this sport stands.”
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