INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Ronda Rousey says her bout with Gina Carano on May 16 is the biggest fight that can be made in mixed martial arts, and they're both thrilled to end their lengthy retirements for this long-awaited showdown.
Rousey and Carano made their first public appearance Tuesday to promote their comeback bout at Intuit Dome.
“This is the biggest fight in MMA right now,” Rousey said. “There are no two people in this sport with more international name recognition than me and Gina — except Conor (McGregor), but no one is going to sanction that.”
Both fighters were pioneers in the nascent days of women's MMA. Carano became the sport's biggest early television star in the 2000s before Rousey's talent singlehandedly persuaded the UFC to create women's divisions in the 2010s.
But the sport accelerated past the MMA icons, who both moved on to entertainment careers after their star power appeared to exceed their cage abilities. Carano, who turns 44 next month, hasn't fought at all since 2009, while the 39-year-old Rousey last competed in 2016 before having two children.
But neither fighter had fully given up on MMA, and this bout was too tantalizing to pass up.
“We only get to live once, and this makes me feel so alive,” said Carano, who also revealed for the first time that she has married her longtime partner, muay thai fighter Kevin Ross.
Rousey and Carano have finally decided to return for a fight that's been anticipated and predicted for many years despite the fighters' long career detours.
Carano said that while she never formally retired, she was persuaded to return after lengthy conversations with Rousey, who was still pregnant when she proposed the bout more than a year ago.
“This is the only fight I wanted to come back for, the only fight that can inspire me like that,” Rousey said.
Rousey sharply criticized the UFC for a financial offer that was much smaller than what she is getting for this fight. Rousey initially wanted to make her comeback with the sports' dominant promotion on its final pay-per-view card, but she turned down its offer.
Rousey said she still loves UFC President Dana White, but the promotion's corporate overlords have strangled fighter pay.
“Now it's become about changing the entire landscape of the sport and challenging the monolith that the UFC has become,” Rousey said.
The Netflix show is being promoted by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, but Rousey made it clear she is heavily involved in the promotional end. Paul hopes to promote many more MMA shows in the future.
The bout, which is scheduled for five five-minute rounds, will be the main event at Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer's opulent new arena south of downtown Los Angeles.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou also will appear on the card, fighting 40-year-old Philipe Lins.
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