Gina Carano Returns After 17 Years to Face Ronda Rousey in Netflix's First MMA Show
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 15
Gina Carano Returns After 17 Years to Face Ronda Rousey in Netflix's First MMA Show
11 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 15
44-year-old Gina Carano fights Saturday in Inglewood, ending a nearly 17-year MMA absence in the main event of Netflix’s first live MMA card against Ronda Rousey.
Rousey’s offer helped trigger the comeback after Carano’s acting career collapsed in 2021 and she later dealt with weight gain, health problems and a search for renewed purpose.
More than 6,100 days after her 2009 loss to Cris Cyborg, Carano says renewed training and midlife focus have left her better prepared for the sport’s demands than in her 20s.
The bout pairs two former women’s MMA stars returning from long layoffs—Rousey after 9 1/2 years—and could become one of the year’s most-watched combat sports events.
Can advanced science truly conquer a decade of ring rust for MMA's returning female pioneers?
Is this Netflix showdown the birth of a true UFC rival or just a high-stakes nostalgia play?