Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano will end their MMA retirements and fight each other in May

Ronda Rousey arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of, "Mile 22," on Aug. 9, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

LOS ANGELES — Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will end their lengthy retirements from mixed martial arts to fight each other May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

The two pioneering fighters announced their returns Tuesday for a bout that will be staged by Most Valuable Promotions, the combat sports promotion established by influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul and his business partner, Nakisa Bidarian. The show will be broadcast on Netflix.

The 39-year-old Rousey hasn’t fought since 2016, while the 43-year-old Carano’s eight-bout MMA career ended in 2009. They’ll fight at 145 pounds for five five-minute rounds.

Despite their lengthy absences, Rousey and Carano remain two of the most iconic fighters in MMA history for their trailblazing careers. Carano led their once-outlawed sport into the mainstream of broadcast television, while Rousey secured the enthusiastic acceptance of women’s MMA by Dana White and the UFC.

Rousey (12-2) rose to become arguably the biggest star in all of MMA after winning an Olympic medal in judo in 2008. Her armbar finishes and cage charisma singlehandedly prompted White to begin promotion of women’s MMA, with Rousey at the center of his plans.

Rousey won the UFC’s first-ever women’s bout in 2013 to claim the bantamweight title belt, and she still holds the promotion’s record with six title defenses. After ending 11 of her first 12 fights in the first round, her career abruptly stalled when she lost back-to-back bouts to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, prompting her to move on to acting, professional wrestling and motherhood.

“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. ”This is for all MMA fans past, present and future.”

Carano (7-1) fought in the first Nevada-sanctioned MMA bout between women in 2006, and she won a series of fights that made her a network television draw in the sport’s early days. She was stopped by Cris “Cyborg” Justino in her most recent fight in August 2009, and she moved on to an acting career despite repeated rumors of a return to the cage.

“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,” Carano said. “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 honor. 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.”

Carano, who turns 44 in April, landed several prominent film roles and became a cast member of Disney’s “The Mandalorian” before her contract was not renewed in 2021 after she expressed controversial right-wing views in a series of social media posts. Carano settled a lawsuit last year against Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company over her claim that she was fired for the posts.

Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions is making its first foray into MMA promotion after four years of promoting boxing.

___

Greg Beacham, The Associated Press