SUMMARY
- Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano will headline Netflix’s first live MMA event.
- The five round featherweight bout takes place May 16 at the Intuit Dome.
- Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions is promoting the card, signaling new distribution and promotional models for MMA.
LOS ANGELES — Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will headline a five round featherweight bout May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, marking the first live MMA card streamed globally on Netflix and promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, organizers announced Tuesday.
The long discussed matchup between two pioneers of women’s mixed martial arts will be contested at 145 pounds. The event represents Netflix’s most significant move yet into live combat sports programming.
The announcement places the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano bout at the intersection of sports, streaming and athlete led promotion.
Netflix has expanded live programming with sports and special events, and the fight signals a deeper investment in combat sports as streaming platforms compete for exclusive live content.
Rousey, 39, became the face of women’s MMA after winning the Strikeforce bantamweight title in 2012 and defending a UFC championship six times between 2013 and 2015.
She was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018. Her tenure ended with knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes before she transitioned to professional wrestling with WWE.
Carano, 43, helped legitimize women’s MMA before Rousey’s rise. In 2007, she fought Julie Kedzie in the first televised women’s MMA bout on Showtime.
In 2009, she faced Cris Cyborg in the first women’s main event of a major promotion, losing by TKO.
Carano later built a film career with roles in major franchises including “Fast & Furious,” “Deadpool” and “Star Wars.” The matchup was previously pursued by UFC leadership but never materialized.
John Wood, head coach at Syndicate MMA, told “The Ariel Helwani Show” in December that Carano had resumed training. “When you’re a real fighter, it never goes away,” Wood said, describing her return to the gym.
Sports media analyst John Ourand, founder of Puck’s sports business coverage, said direct to consumer platforms are seeking “appointment viewing events that cut through subscriber fatigue,” adding that recognizable names reduce risk for streaming entrants.
Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions has focused on athlete equity and cross platform marketing.
Industry consultant Alicia Jessop, a sports law professor at Pepperdine University, said athlete driven promotions “reflect a broader shift in combat sports economics, where fighters seek greater control over revenue streams and distribution.”
Dana White, president and CEO of UFC, previously credited Rousey with helping open the promotion to women’s divisions.
“She proved the demand was there,” White said in past remarks about her impact.
Wood said Carano’s return is rooted in competition rather than nostalgia. “She wanted to see where it went,” he said.
Streaming analyst Julia Alexander of Parrot Analytics said live sports create global engagement spikes that scripted content rarely matches. “It drives immediate conversation across markets,” she said.
The Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano event will test whether legacy stars can anchor premium MMA cards outside traditional pay per view ecosystems.
Its performance may influence how other promotions negotiate streaming rights and structure athlete contracts.
The Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano superfight closes a chapter that began more than a decade ago while opening a new phase for MMA distribution.
By pairing established stars with a global streaming debut, organizers are reshaping how elite fights reach international audiences.
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