Ronda Rousey is set to make a stunning return to MMA nearly a decade after her retirement, lining up a blockbuster showdown with fellow pioneer Gina Carano.
The clash between the two combat sports legends will headline the first professional MMA event staged by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, with the card set to stream live on Netflix on May 16.
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At 39, Rousey is widely regarded as the biggest female star in MMA history, becoming the first woman ever signed by the UFC and the first to capture a UFC title.
“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!” Rousey said.
“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.”
After a five-year unbeaten run in the UFC, “Rowdy” suffered a stunning upset loss of her UFC bantamweight title to Holly Holm in 2015.
A year later, she was beaten again by Amanda Nunes in her attempted comeback, prompting her to retire from MMA.
For MMA diehards, Rousey v Carano is the super-fight that slipped through the cracks, with Carano hanging up the gloves several years before her fellow American made her pro debut.
The UFC explored the match-up while Rousey was at the peak of her powers, but the two sides were unable to strike a deal.
Carano, 43, has a 7-1 record, her only defeat coming against Cris Cyborg in her final bout back in 2009.
Carano, who transitioned into acting following her retirement, revealed that it was Rousey who first reached out about making the fight happen.
“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,” said Carano.
“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 honour. 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.”
Jake Paul’s promotional outfit, Most Valuable Promotions, will stage the event in its first venture into the world of MMA, with additional bouts set to be added to the card in due course.
“MVP has always been driven by disruption and delivering the biggest moments in combat sports on a global scale, and today we are officially bringing that energy to MMA for the first time,” Paul said in a statement.
“MVP’s conviction in women’s boxing was driven by the success achieved by Ronda Rousey, who was the biggest star of the entire sport of MMA during her career.
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“Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are the two most formative figures in the history of women’s MMA; they are the icons who shattered the glass ceiling and helped build the foundation this sport stands on.”
The countdown to the fight kicks off on March 5 with a press conference in Los Angeles.