Ronda Rousey And gina carano The executive director of the California State Athletic Commission said Rousey would undergo more extensive medical and neurological testing than is required of all combat sports athletes before her May 16 MMA comeback fight, and that Rousey would undergo concussion battery testing. andy foster told ESPN on Wednesday.
The fight between former UFC bantamweight champion Rousey and fellow female MMA trailblazer Carano was announced Tuesday and will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Rousey, 39, hasn’t fought since 2016 and Carano, who will be 44 on fight night, last competed in 2009.
Concern was raised by Rousey’s appearance on Instagram Live two years ago, when she was promoting the release of her memoir, “Our Fight.” He said his long history of injuries dates back to his days in judo, the sport in which he won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics. Rousey said she kept her concussion history hidden from the UFC and regulators, “because it would have literally put a target on my head and not allowed me to compete any further.”
“We’ll run him through a neurological and concussion battery test and make sure he’s OK,” Foster said. “We will check with our doctors. The fighters will undergo a lot of therapy, both of them.”
Carano will also require additional testing due to her age and prolonged inactivity. The California Commission follows the Association of Ringside Physicians’ recommendations for regulating fighters over the age of 40, which include magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, electrocardiogram (EKG), heart testing, an exercise stress echocardiogram, neurocognitive testing, blood work, metabolic panel, and ophthalmological eye examination.
Foster said that although the California commission “has outright rejected many battles over the years,” it did not dismiss this one either.
“As long as these women pass their medicals and pass all their neurological batteries and do the work that they need to do,” Foster said, “there’s nothing wrong with this fight.”
