Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano: Fight card, date, odds, how to watch and everything else you need to know

Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are set for a historic stage later this month. More than a combined 25 years after their retirements, the two women’s MMA pioneers make their stunning returns to the cage Saturday, May 16, at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, headlining the first-ever MMA event to be broadcasted live on Netflix.

Rousey vs. Carano sits atop an 11-fight card staged by Jake Paul’s promotional entity, Most Valuable Promotions. The fight will be contested at 145 pounds over five five-minute rounds, using MMA’s customary four-ounce gloves. The entire event begins at 6 p.m. ET on Netflix with a five-fight preliminary card, followed by a six-fight main card beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

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In addition to Rousey vs. Carano, the historic lineup is buoyed by several big names from the MMA world, including former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou (18-3) returning against ex-UFC contender Philipe Lins (18-5), and combat sports superstar Nate Diaz (21-13) facing off against BKFC standout and fellow UFC veteran Mike Perry (14-8).

Rousey, 39, is one of the biggest draws and most influential athletes in MMA history. An Olympic medalist in judo who parlayed her gifts into a lightning-in-the-bottle run as a prizefighter, she famously played an integral role in UFC CEO Dana White opening the doors for women to compete in the UFC. After capturing the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title in 2012, Rousey (12-2) then defended it six consecutive times in the UFC from 2013-15, becoming one of the most famous athletes on the planet.

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Rousey’s widely-publicized reign ended with back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, in 2015 and 2016 respectively, after which she retired from MMA and transitioned into professional wrestling with the WWE. Rousey ultimately became the first women to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018.

Carano, 43, was the biggest star in women’s MMA history prior to Rousey’s arrival. In 2007, her and Julie Kedzie competed in the first-ever women’s fight televised on Showtime. Two years later, Carano (7-1) made history again when her and Cris Cyborg became the first women to headline a major MMA event with their Strikeforce featherweight championship bout.

Carano retired from MMA following that bout and transitioned into acting, securing roles in numerous film franchises such as Fast & Furious, Deadpool and Star Wars. In a revealing conversation with Uncrowned, Carano opened up about her controversial departure from the Star Wars franchise ahead of the Rousey fight.

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“I had so much anxiety in my body that my face hurt, my skin hurt me,” she told “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I don’t know if anybody’s had that — it hurt so bad. My soul was just crushed. My heart was broken.”

Rousey recently opened as a sizable betting favorite (-650) to win the fight at BetMGM sportsbooks, with Carano opening as a +450 heavy underdog.

Check out the complete Rousey vs. Carano Netflix MMA fight card below.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET, Netflix)

• Women’s featherweight: Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano

• Heavyweight: Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins

• Welterweight: Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry

• Featherweight: Salahdine Parnasse vs. Kenny Cross

• Heavyweight: Junior dos Santos vs. Robelis Despaigne

• Flyweight: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Adriano Moraes

Preliminary Card (6 p.m. ET, Netflix)

• Welterweight: Jason Jackson vs. Jeff Creighton

• Welterweight: Namo Fazil vs. Jake Babian

• Featherweight: David Mgoyan vs. Albert Morales

• 130-pound catchweight: Aline Pereira vs. Jade Masson-Wong

• 165-pound catchweight: Chris Avila vs. Brandon Jenkins