If you get your entertainment from fierce fights between two women inside an MMA cage, you can thank two different women who haven’t been inside an MMA cage in a decade or more.
Ronda Rousey Was solely responsible for women fighting in the UFC. gina carano Was largely responsible for women’s MMA being watched in the first place.
Reasons why Rousey and Carano will return from long retirements to fight each other This historic event will take place on May 16 in Inglewood, California. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be a good fight. Rousey is 39 years old and has not competed since 2016. Carano, who will turn 44 on fight night, will step inside the cage for the first time since 2009.
Rousey vs. Carano may once have been a clash of the women’s MMA elite. This is not the situation in 2026, not even close. What we have here is a spectacle – a sign of the times in combat sports.
When Rousey was the biggest star in MMA, she achieved that stardom and the lucrative earnings that come with it, by becoming one of the most dominant fighters in the sport, man or woman. In 2011, the same year that CEO Dana White said women would “never” fight in the UFC, “Rowdy Ronda” made her professional debut and began a streak of 12 consecutive finishes, all but one in the first round. Eight opponents did not last even a minute. While turning White into a believer, Rousey developed the appeal of prime Mike Tyson, except in her case, fans were ready to see not a quick knockout but a pounding armbar.
Still, if it weren’t for Carano, the pioneer, there might never have been a Rousey. Although she was not the first woman to compete in MMA – there are documented women’s bouts in North America dating back to the 1990s – Carano was part of the first female bout in a major promotion, Strikeforce, in 2006. A year later, she competed in the first televised women’s battle on Showtime. And in 2009, Carano Vs. chris cyborg There was a Strikeforce main event, featuring four people who became champions in Strikeforce, Bellator or the UFC.
The world of combat sports has changed dramatically in the nearly two decades since that August 2009 bout, which became Carano’s retirement fight. Fighters no longer earn fame only through their fighting skills. Many of today’s top MMA stars supercharge their careers with fiery words, outrageous actions and artificial matchups. Even those who have long retired can earn big bucks by returning to entertain the public in circus and competition shows such as fistfights.
In the nearly 10 years since Rousey last hung up the gloves, we’ve seen MMA stars turn to boxing for unprecedented pay days, leading to a boost. conor mcgregor And out of retirement Floyd Mayweather Jr. is making a fortune sharing a dance in 2017. social media visionary jake paulWhose most valuable promotion would be promoting Rousey vs. Carano, created a cottage industry by beating MMA fighters turned fish out of water in the boxing ring. In 2024, Paul steps into the ring with a 58-year-old Tyson who, despite once being the baddest man on the planet, looks just as bad, man.
When each of the above fights were announced, the first question was always “Why?” Now we have Rousey vs. Carano, and my reaction is “Why not?”
Well, Rousey has given us a reason not to. Two years ago, while promoting the publication of his memoir, “Our Fight”, he revealed his injury history from his time in judo, the sport in which he won a 2008 Olympic bronze medal. He kept his head injury a secret from the UFC and regulators, He said“Because it would literally put a target over my head and I would not be allowed to compete any further.”
ESPN contacted the executive director of the California State Athletic Commission andy foster Regulators reached out Tuesday to inquire about whether additional testing might be required from Rousey, but did not immediately receive a response. Rousey appeared on “SportsCenter” on Tuesday and talked about needing more recovery time after training sessions now than in her years in the UFC, but she did not mention her concussion history.
If there’s any silver lining to this showdown, it’s that Rousey and Carano will at least be competing at their respective sports. Recently there were reports that Rousey was trying to box two-division champion Katie Taylor, and no one really needed to see how that would play out. There’s a bit of intrigue in this MMA bout, if only to see what each woman has left after so many years outside the cage. Can Carano still throw hands well enough to present a threat that keeps the fight going, or will Rousey quickly kill Carano with takedowns and armbars without breaking a sweat?
But competitiveness is not the point of this event. This is a chance for two pioneers of women’s MMA to spend a night in the spotlight they created. And possibly, a huge sum of money will be involved.
Fighters do not get pension. Some prepare for a future outside the cage or ring, and some leave the sport due to lack of money.
Carano made a Hollywood future for herself. In the 17 years since retiring from MMA, she has appeared in more than a dozen films, including the sixth installment of the “Fast & Furious” franchise. Rousey has also had roles in films and TV, but her main platform has been WWE. She activated her retirement plans even before leaving MMA and made a guest appearance at WrestleMania in 2014 while still the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.
Speaking about leading promotions in MMA, Rousey said on “Sportscenter” that she anticipated White’s interest and “it just didn’t work out with the UFC.” This adds a layer of intrigue. White predicted that the UFC event at the White House on June 14 would be “the most watched UFC event ever.” Given that Rousey, the biggest star in UFC history not named McGregor, has 16.8 million Instagram followers and Carano has 1.8 million, could this spectacle outshine the UFC date in the nation’s capital?
To say that Rousey and Carano aren’t doing this for the money would undoubtedly be a hollow premise, as this is prizefighting where everything is about money. But just by looking at the last notation on the two women’s fight resumes, it’s fair to conclude that money isn’t the only motivation.
Carano left in 2009 after being defeated by Cyborg. rouse Absorbed a shocking upset knockout On the hands – and calves – of holly holm In 2015, in front of 56,000 fans at a stadium in Australia, and after a year out of the public eye, she returned Amanda Nunes and was eliminated in 48 seconds. For both Rousey and Carano, this comeback presents an opportunity to change the final chapter of the story.
Or will this fight give birth to more chapters in the future?
