TLDR
- Cris Cyborg offered to help Gina Carano train for her fight against Ronda Rousey on May 16, 2026
- Cyborg defeated Carano in 2009 under the Strikeforce banner, ending Carano’s fighting career
- The Brazilian fighter criticized Rousey for avoiding a fight at 145 pounds during their primes
- Cyborg referenced Rousey’s past concussions in social media comments about the upcoming bout
- The Rousey-Carano fight will stream on Netflix at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles
Sources: Bloody Elbow | National Today | National Today
MMA legend Cris Cyborg has offered to help Gina Carano prepare for her comeback fight against Ronda Rousey. The surprising offer comes despite Cyborg defeating Carano in 2009, which ended Carano’s professional fighting career.
Cyborg posted on social media that she would rather assist Carano with her training than fight her in a rematch. The Brazilian fighter’s offer adds another layer to the buildup for the highly anticipated bout scheduled for May 16, 2026.
The fight will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and will stream on Netflix. Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions is organizing the event, which marks Netflix’s first MMA show.
Two MMA legends are coming to Netflix.
RONDA ROUSEY vs. GINA CARANO
Saturday May 16
LIVE only on Netflix#RouseyCarano pic.twitter.com/zqdSC7l4in— Netflix (@netflix) February 17, 2026
Cyborg Criticizes Rousey’s Past Decisions
While offering help to Carano, Cyborg also took direct shots at Rousey on social media. She criticized Rousey for avoiding a fight at 145 pounds when both fighters were in their prime.
“All those years of ducking me at 145 when we were both in our prime?! I thought you had CTE or something?” Cyborg wrote on Twitter. The comment referenced Rousey’s past interviews where she discussed suffering multiple concussions during her career.
The Rousey-Cyborg rivalry defined an era of women’s MMA but the two never fought each other in the octagon. Cyborg competed primarily at featherweight (145 pounds) while Rousey dominated the bantamweight division (135 pounds).
Rousey last competed in MMA in 2016 when she lost to Amanda Nunes. She later moved to WWE where she became a champion before stepping away from combat sports entirely.
Long Layoffs for Both Fighters
Carano’s return represents an even longer absence from competition. Her last professional fight was the 2009 loss to Cyborg at a Strikeforce event.
After leaving MMA, Carano pursued an acting career and appeared in several major films. She gained widespread recognition for her role as Cara Dune in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian.
Carano was later dismissed from The Mandalorian following controversial social media posts. She filed a lawsuit against Disney with financial backing from Elon Musk’s legal fund.
The May 16 bout will be contested at featherweight (145 pounds) and is scheduled for five rounds. Both fighters have undergone extensive medical testing to receive clearance from regulatory authorities.
Rousey was the first women’s bantamweight champion in UFC history and defended her title multiple times. Her dominant run in the UFC brought mainstream attention to women’s MMA.
Carano helped establish women’s MMA as commercially viable before the UFC created women’s divisions. Her fights drew large audiences and helped prove that women could headline combat sports events.
Cyborg retired from professional MMA after a lengthy career that included championships in multiple organizations. She holds victories over many of the sport’s top fighters from her era.
The event will be available to Netflix subscribers worldwide on May 16, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
