TLDR
- Ronda Rousey will retire after fighting Gina Carano on May 16 at Intuit Dome on Netflix
- Rousey promised her husband and sister this would be her last fight and wants more children
- The former UFC champion hasn’t fought since losing to Amanda Nunes in December 2016
- Carano, 44, is returning from a 17-year layoff since her last fight in 2009
- Rousey says no amount of money could convince her to continue fighting beyond this bout
Sources: MMA Insight | MMA Fighting | Sherdog | Bleacher Report
Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey says she will retire from mixed martial arts again after her upcoming fight with Gina Carano on May 16. The bout will stream on Netflix as part of the Most Valuable Promotion MMA card at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
“I’m done fighting after this,” Rousey told The Breakfast Club in a recent interview. “Unless something goes down in this match that it deserves a trilogy from me and Gina.”
Rousey, 39, said she made promises to her husband and sister that this would be her final fight. She also wants to expand her family.
“I want to have more kids, too,” Rousey said. She already has two daughters, including one born in late 2024.
The former champion made clear that money won’t change her decision. “We make money so we can spend our time how we want, with who we want, where we want,” she said.
“If I’m spending time away from my family to make more money that’s not going to change our situation at all, what are you doing?” Rousey explained. “It’s just dragon sickness.”
"This isn't a throwback nostalgia card, this is the biggest fight in the sport right now."
—
RONDA ROUSEY vs. GINA CARANO
Saturday May 16
LIVE only on Netflix#RouseyCarano pic.twitter.com/OmSy8VXx4m— Netflix (@netflix) March 10, 2026
Return From Eight-Year Layoff
This fight marks Rousey’s first MMA competition since losing to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016. That knockout loss followed another defeat to Holly Holm in November 2015, which ended Rousey’s undefeated streak.
Rousey shocked the MMA world when she announced her comeback earlier this year. According to reports, she personally reached out to Carano in late 2024 while nine months pregnant with her second daughter.
Carano is the only opponent Rousey said she would return to face. The 44-year-old Carano hasn’t fought since losing to Cris Cyborg in August 2009, making her layoff nearly 17 years.
Before Rousey became a star, Carano was the biggest name in women’s MMA. She fought on network television for Elite XC and competed in Strikeforce, winning her first seven fights.
Legacy and Future Plans
Rousey changed women’s MMA forever when she fought in the UFC’s first-ever women’s match in February 2013. She defeated Liz Carmouche by submission at UFC 157 and became a global star.
She won her first six UFC fights by stoppage and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018. Many consider her one of the most important fighters in MMA history for helping legitimize women’s competition in the sport.
After retiring in 2016, Rousey spent years working for WWE before focusing on her family. In her recent memoir “Our Fight,” she revealed suffering years of concussions during her fighting career.
Betting odds currently favor Rousey to win the fight due to her superior ground game and famous armbar submission. Carano, primarily a muay thai striker, will look to keep the fight standing.
The May 16 card will also feature Francis Ngannou versus Philipe Lins in a heavyweight bout and Nate Diaz versus Mike Perry at welterweight. Rousey’s management of her training camp has been careful to ensure this remains a one-time return.
Rousey emphasized that family remains her priority. “Keep in mind what you’re doing these things for,” she said. “I’m doing it for them. I don’t want to spend more time away from them trying to get more money that they don’t need.”
