Rousey vs. Carano Headlines MVP MMA Debut in 2026

Ronda Rousey will return to mixed martial arts on May 16, 2026, headlining Most Valuable Promotions' debut event against fellow pioneer Gina Carano in a five-round featherweight bout at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The matchup, streaming live on Netflix, marks the first MMA card for the promotion co-founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, and features a star-studded lineup including former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou facing Philipe Lins in the co-main event and Nate Diaz taking on bare-knuckle boxing standout Mike Perry.

Rousey, 39, last competed nearly a decade ago, exiting the UFC after back-to-back losses to Holly Holm in 2015 and Amanda Nunes in 2016 following a dominant run that included six bantamweight title defenses. A 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in judo and the first woman inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, she has since pursued careers in professional wrestling with WWE and acting, while focusing on family life with husband Travis Browne and their two young daughters. Rousey described this fight as her final one, stating she promised her husband she was done after it to prioritize having more children. The idea for the bout emerged about 15...