Rousey and Carano Square Off Before Their May 16 Showdown

Ronda Rousey (L) and Gina Carano (R) face off in front of Jake Paul (C) during the Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix 5X5 Professional MMA bound pre-fight press conference outside the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on March 10, 2026. Photo by Nicholai Roska for Tangent Zine.

Considered one of the most important showdowns in mixed martial arts, former UFC champion and Olympic medalist Ronda Rousey (12-2, 9 Submissions, 3 KOs) expressed both respect and a competitive spirit towards her opponent, combat sports trailblazer Gina Carano (7-1, 1 Submission, 3 KOs), during their pre-fight press conference at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California.

Ronda Rousey (L) and Gina Carano (R) face off in front of Jake Paul (C) during the Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix 5X5 Professional MMA bound pre-fight press conference outside the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on March 10, 2026. Photo by Nicholai Roska for Tangent Zine.

Rousey and Carano were trailblazers during the early stages of women's MMA. In the 2000s, Carano emerged as the sport's first major television star, while Rousey's exceptional talent in the 2010s was the catalyst for the UFC to establish women's divisions.

From L-R : Nakisa Bidarian, Francis Ngannou, Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano, Philipe Lins, and Jake Paul pose together at the Ronda Rousey x Gina Carano MMA Press Conference at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Photo by Nicholai Roska For Tangentzine

"This isn't a charity card or nostalgia card, this is the biggest fight in the world. This is fate for us," said Rousey.

Ronda Rousey answers questions from the media during the press conference held at the Intuit Dome. Photo by Nicholai Roska for Tangent Zine

It's been a decade since Rousey participated in a UFC MMA match, while the 43-year-old Carano last competed 17 years ago. The fight will be officially sanctioned under the Unified Rules of MMA, consisting of five rounds of 5 minutes each, with 4-ounce gloves, inside a hexagonal cage.

Most Valuable Promotions head honcho Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul answers questions from the media. Photo by Nicholai Roska for Tangent Zine.

Also in attendance at the press conference were former MMA heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou (18– 3, 13 KOs, 4 submissions) and Brazil’s Philipe Lins (18–5, 9 KOs, 4 submissions) as MVP and Netflix confirmed yesterday that the pair will face off in a colossal bout for MVP’s Rousey vs. Carano.

Francis Ngannou (L) and Brazil’s Philipe Lins engage in a face-off for the audience. Photo by Nicholai Roska for Tangent Zine.

Catch the fight live at the Intuit Dome in LA on May 16 or stream it live on Netflix with no additional costs or pay per view fees to current subscribers.

TICKETS