Pro wrestling fans tuning into Ronda Rousey’s MMA return this weekend will hear a familiar voice on the commentary team.
MVP Promotions has announced that Mauro Ranallo will be the play-by-play announcer for Saturday’s broadcast on Netflix, working alongside former MMA fighter Kenny Florian. The main card begins at 9 p.m. Eastern time streaming live from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Ranallo has a long history calling marquee boxing and MMA events, along with having served as a commentator for WWE and NJPW. He still contributes to wrestling commentary with Scott D’Amore’s Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling in his native country of Canada. In 2018, Showtime released the documentary “Bipolar Rock ‘N Roller” focused on Ranallo and his struggle with bipolar disorder.
Elle Duncan, Tyron Woodley, and Ariel Helwani will anchor Netflix’s Rousey vs. Carano coverage as hosts of the event, with Jon Jones, Cain Velasquez, and Cat Zingano appearing as guests. The broadcast team also includes Sibley Scoles (reporter), Sean Wheelock (rules and scoring), and Kody “Big Mo” Mommaerts (in-cage announcer).
Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian of MVP are the promoters for this event, which is Netflix’s first time airing live MMA. The show has a five-fight main card:
Ronda Rousey has confirmed that her fight against Gina Carano this weekend will very likely be her last. Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show to promote the Netflix fight for MVP, Rousey admitted that this was it for her and she would not be returning to the UFC or any other promotion to fight again.
Rousey has not been in competitive MMA for some time, with her last UFC appearances being her losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
There is currently no indication that Rousey will be returning to pro wrestling either, with her mentioning during the interview with Helwani that she wants to start having more children with her husband Travis Browne as soon as possible, ruling her out of any combat sports or wrestling in the near future.
Ronda Rousey on potential UFC Return
“To the UFC, to fight? No. I promised my husband that this is the last one. He is the one that I have to convince to get on board with this promoter shit after. He’s not going for the fighting at all after this. Honestly, I want to get started having babies again right away. I want to have at least two more, if I can. I can’t be taking detours anymore. This is the peak. I can’t go higher than this. This is the dream fight and the absolute pinnacle for me. This is the perfect way to end it.
Rousey recently appeared in AEW alongside her long time friend Marina Shafir, although that was a one-off appearance to help promote this upcoming Netflix broadcast rather than a match in All Elite Wrestling.
FAQ and context
Is this really Ronda Rousey’s last fight?
By her own words, yes. Rousey told Ariel Helwani plainly: “I promised my husband that this is the last one.” She also called the Carano bout “the peak” and “the absolute pinnacle.” Combat sports retirements have a habit of getting unretired, but everything Rousey said on the show pointed to a hard stop.
How long has Rousey been out of MMA?
Her last sanctioned MMA bout was the Amanda Nunes loss at UFC 207 on 30 December 2016. The Carano fight is her first combat sports appearance since, and, if she’s to be believed, her last.
Where is the Rousey vs Carano fight being shown?
On Netflix, as part of the streamer’s ongoing push into live combat sports.
The history of pro wrestling on the Turner Networks
The skyrocketing success and rapid decline of WCW
The television heyday of Georgia Championship Wrestling
How Ted Turner first got involved in pro wrestling
Why Vince McMahon hated Ted Turner and how irrational it was at times
The local TV business in the early 70s
The 1972-74 Atlanta wrestling war, how it started and ended
The start of Gordon Solie and Tony Schiavone on TBS
The growth of TBS
The launching of CNN
How Vince McMahon got on TBS
Why McMahon and Turner had issues during their year working together
The role Jim Barnett played
The death of Mid South Wrestling
The death of Jim Crockett Promotions
The death of WCW
How Barnett manipulated the Crocketts getting on TBS
Vince McMahon’s cable power plays and Turner’s reactions
The signing of Hulk Hogan and rise of Eric Bischoff
Hall, Nash and Bret Hart come to WCW
How Bischoff nearly purchased WCW and how it fell through
A reprint of a 2001 article on the closing of WCW that Ted Turner himself read and praised
Reaction to the death of WCW
Numerous people react to the death
The tribute on AEW television
His exploits in other sports
Rupert Murdoch, Ric Flair, Jane Fonda, Tony Khan and others in sports comment on Turner’s death
Turner’s life after he lost control of the networks
His charitable work
Update on Tanea “Rebel” Brooks
A first look at how UFC is performing and its revenue driven vs. expense for Paramount
WWE cuts continue and are looked at
A crazy note about the income of just four of TKO’s top executives and how it compares to the pay for UFC and WWE athletes. This is absolutely shocking
Nick Khan’s new contract with TKO
Why so many cuts were made this year and more notes on the pay cuts
New Day bid farewell
WWE & UFC first quarter financials looked at
More talk regarding Middle East shows, Zuffa Boxing, and complaints regarding WWE and UFC
Backlash preview, business notes and odds
Notes on AEW Double or Nothing
New Japan Dontaku coverage
Nico Ali Walsh on Nick Khan’s testimony before Congress
NOAH big show notes
The most detailed look at the TV ratings from the pro wrestling and MMA shows this past week
Fantastica Mania Mexico
CMLL vs. MLW at Arena Mexico notes
Grande Americano vs. Grande Americano
Lots of injury updates
Who in AEW was set for a major push that is now on hold
Champion Carnival down to final four
Cuatrero convicted in domestic violence case involving Stephanie Vaquer
Raja Jackson case coming to a close
Former WWE wrestler murder case makes pub again
Worldwide YouTuber numbers
Dana White talks McGregor’s return
Notes on Roman Reigns and his schedule
When did Nick Khan learn Vince McMahon was being investigate for sex trafficking
Garrett Borden to make pro wrestling debut (Image credit: Rhodes Wrestling Association)
— Bryan and I will be back tonight to talk WWE, the Von Erichs, ratings woes, Rousey vs. Carano and more.
— Ronda Rousey was hyping her big fight with Hunter Campbell great today on Ariel Helwani’s show. “He was being so dismissive and just trying to get me and Gina to value ourselves less from the get-go. He was like, `Oh, I know, you guys are just so much older and I just don’t know how it’s gonna do.’ It just really rubbed me the wrong way that like this fucking guy is the person that’s going to be shepherding the company that I helped build. My mom is part of the California Athletic Commission and she had a meeting with him about trying to get Slap allowed for California. He goes, this is a really big opportunity for a lot of these people. A lot of these guys would just be doing meth in a trailer park if it wasn’t for this… We are glorified bum fights to this guy. This guy does not have a job because he’s good at it, he has a job because he is Dana and Lorenzo’s lawyer’s son. He was fing intern when I was there before and now he’s coming up to me saying, ‘I don’t know how you and Gina are going to do.’ Like motherfer I’m gonna put on a bigger fight with Gina than you have your entire fing career. Keep trying to fail upwards motherer. Keep trying to suck the right dicks in the right order. I’m fucking coming for your job.”
Evidently there was an issue with Ronda’s mother, who is on the Athletic Commission in California, who told Campbell when he was trying to get SlapFighting approved in the state that she thought SlapFighting was analogous to so many things wrong with society. Rousey has done a great job in building up a Rousey vs. Campbell match. She also doubled down on this being her last fight, saying, “I promised my husband up and down that this is the last one. He’s the one that I really got to convince to get on board for this promoter shit afterwards. He’s not 100 percent sold on it. He’s not going for the fighting at all after this. This is the dream fight. This is the absolute pinnacle. This is the perfect way to end it.”
— Too bad the fight isn’t against Hunter Campbell on Saturday.
— Jake Paul predicted more than 20 million views for Rousey vs Carano. I hope so. Keep in mind that would be easily four times what WrestleMania did worldwide (Mania was on Netflix everywhere but the U.S. and ESPN and the app in the U.S.
— Gina Carano recently turned 44.
— Raw tonight is from Knoxville, TN. I wonder if we’ll get a Kane cameo since he’s the mayor. They had 9,448 tickets out as of this afternoon so a strong crowd. Asuka is there and whatever her situation is would likely be explained. Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu will be doing an angle. Brie Bella & Paige will have an angle presumably with Roxanne Perez & Raque Rodriguez. Oba Femi has an open challenge. The Street Profits & Joe Hendry face Bron Breakker & Austin Theory & Logan Paul.
— Regarding the new dates Roman Reigns has been put back on for Raw (he was listed, taken off last week, put back on two shows this week), I don’t know yet if that means he’s on the Saudi Arabia card. But it does mean the next time someone mocks the term “plans change,” you can laugh in their faces given they change daily.
— We’re looking for your thoughts on WWE Backlash Saturday. You can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
— We have a story up on the site for members on the TNA and AEW ratings including a stat that is clearly making zero sense.
— Box Brown noted to us that Labor of Love Wrestling came up with the Danhausen cloning idea and did it at a show three weeks ago in Philadelphia. I was sent the video. It was identical. The only thing is that the wrestler doing the cloning had an identical twin brother who came out. But the box was exactly the same, the smoke was the same, I mean the thing at Backlash was so clearly taken from the show in Philadelphia.
— Garrett Borden, Sting’s other son who was involved in the Sting & Darby Allin vs. Young Bucks match makes his pro wrestling debut as an official competitor on Sunday for Dustin Rhodes’ Rhodes Wrestling Association.
— Tonight’s CMLL show in Puebla was sold out before I even woke up. The main event is Mistico & Mascara Dorada & Atlantsi Jr. vs. Averno & Soberan Jr. & Hechicero. We mistakenly listed that as the main event for last night’s show. Last night was Mistico & Templario & Esfinge over Angel de Oro & Hechicero & Niebla Roja.
— Something notable about the 9/11 and 9/13 TripeMania announcements are that WWE has a tour of South America on 9/9 to 9/12 and Penta and Grande Americano are advertised although I suppose there are two Grande’s and one could at TripleMania and the other in Argentina. But after 5/30 there should only be one Grande, unless WWE changes the tradition and a guy loses his mask and still works with a mask.
— Kevin Gil’s lawsuit against Game Changer Wrestling was settled this week in U.S. District Court in New Jersey. Gill had filed a suit in 2024 claiming that he and GCW agreed to start a Patreon together and he would receive 20 percent of the patreon revenue. He said that he was underpaid his percentage and that he stopped being paid in 2020. He had sued for a figure in excess of $150,000.
— The WWE shareholder lawsuit against WWE is scheduled for a 6/8 trial date, so there are only a few weeks to go before a likely settlement would be reached.
— TNA will debut a Wicked Garden match at its Friday taping in Sacramento. It will be Hardys vs. Righteous and air on 6/4. They are taping Thursday and Friday in Sacramento. Skip Caray, the great grandson of Harry Caray (one of the most famous baseball announcers of all-time) and the A’s announcer, will be on Thursday’s live TNA broadcast from Sacramento.
— Paul Diamond of WWE fame (as opposed to the 60s and 70s wrestlers) turned 65 today. He was a former pro soccer player in the old North American Soccer League. Billy Kidman turned 52. Bobby Roode turned 50. Lince Dorado turned 39. Rollerball Mark Rocco/Original Black Tiger was born on this day in 1951. He was one of the greatest U.K. wrestlers in history and a Hall of Famer. Silver King was 51 when he passed away seven years ago. Sabu was 61 when he passed away last year. Steve Austin debuted on this day in 1989. (thanks to Tony Richards)
— The movie Nacho Libre, where Silver King played the lead heel, was the No. 4 movie for yesterday on Paramount + and No. 8 overall. It had more views than UFC on Sunday (not more than Saturday obviously since that was the No. 1 show for the day on the service and more than Zuffa Boxing.
— WWE sent out a press release saying that the first two-night TripleMania takes place in September. There have been multiple day TripleManias in 1994, 1995, 1996,1997, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
— Jeet Rama, who formerly worked for WWE, has started Pro Wrestling Rebellion in India. Mansoor was announced for the show as both a writer and working in production, and Mark Dallas of Insane Championship Wrestling will also be involved.
After a fake card made its way around X on Monday, the actual full lineup for this May’s Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano MMA event on Netflix has been announced.
Jake Paul’s MVP promotion made the reveal Tuesday morning on social media.
While it’s devoid of the name value of the fake card, the show will feature former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos returning to MMA to take on Robelis Despaigne. It’s Dos Santos’ first MMA fight since losing to Cyril Gane at UFC 256 in December 2020. He’s lost his last four fights.
Other notable fighters include former UFC, Strikeforce and Bellator fighter Lorenz Larkin against Bellator and PFL veteran Jason Jackson.
The event for the Inuit Dome in Los Angeles is headlined by the returns of both Rousey and Carano for what is expected to be their final ever MMA fights.
Full Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano MMA fight card | Los Angeles | Saturday, May 16
While it was known the upcoming Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano MMA fight on Netflix was originally pitched to the UFC, what wasn’t known was that a date range was attached.
During Tuesday’s pre-event press conference in Los Angeles, Rousey was asked by event host Ariel Helwani about what happened in the UFC and she said a lot about that and other topics including her thoughts on TKO leadership.
She said she spoke to Dana White about it first due to her love and respect for him. She explained that it originally was being slated to be the final fight under the pay-per-view model that ended in December 2025 prior to UFC’s move to Paramount in January 2026.
An actual date wasn’t announced, but she said “New Year’s.” She also said the offer to her was “the best PPV structure ever.”
The reason that didn’t happen was Carano wasn’t ready, something Rousey said “was meant to be.” The two will fight on Netflix on Saturday, May 16.
She said White was the first one to know she was taking the fight to Netflix and that he gave it his blessing and that “he’s always been my friend first.” She said he wasn’t upset and that he was the one who wanted her to make as much money as possible.
Rousey said that her criticisms of the UFC over the last few days is because White “isn’t calling the shots” and is an employee of a company that isn’t focused on making the best fights possible but is beholden to their shareholders first.
“They are bleeding talent because of short-term greed. They’re thinking about the next quarter. They’re thinking about the shareholders. They’re not thinking about their responsibility to be stewards of the future of the sport,” he said.
“He knows the White House cards sucks,” she said. “I guarantee he’s not happy with it either. He taught me through example to speak my mind.”
She later was asked to describe White and said, “loyal to a fault.”
“The UFC is one of the worst places to go. So many of their top athletes are leaving to find pay elsewhere. It’s why their champions like Valentina (Shevchenko) are selling pictures of their titties on OnlyFans.”
Rousey said future fights depend on how the Carano fight goes, but that she wants more kids and to be more present for her family.
“When are you going to be impressed enough with yourself to spend more time with your family?” she said, adding this is a grand finale and a way to “rewrite her ending.”
Francis Ngannou and Philipe Lins were also at the presser and Ngannou was asked about fighting MVP promoter/owner Jake Paul in the future. Ngannou said he wasn’t interested in fighting him, but rather “beating his ass.” Paul later said he also wanted to do it which would be in boxing if it happens.
Ronda Rousey says it is “no longer in the UFC’s best interest to put on the best fights possible.”
Rousey was a guest on The Jim Rome Show on Friday and was asked why the UFC is not promoting her fight with Gina Carano. Rousey responded that she had originally worked out a deal with Dana White that would have made her more money per pay-per-view buy than any other fighter in history. However, she said the company was unwilling to guarantee her the money she believed she deserved once the pay-per-view structure shifted amid its streaming deal with ESPN.
Rousey said:
“I went to (Dana White) and said, ‘Dude, you always say that I’m the best fighter you ever worked with. Like, reward me for it. Don’t punish me for being easy to work with. Give me the best deal you ever gave anybody.'”
“He came back and he literally brought me the a deal where I would make more per pay-per-view buy than anybody in history.”
“It happened to go to the other side of when ESPN deal and their pay-per-view model would be ending and they would be going to streaming.”
“They didn’t want to set a precedent of giving me the guaranteed money that I deserve because once I raise that tide it lifts all the boats.”
“It’s in their best interest actually not to put on the best fights possible, but to spend as little as money as possible so that they can keep it.”
Rousey added that the UFC is focused on “the most cost effective fights possible” rather than “putting on the best fights possible,” which she said led her to explore other options for the Carano fight.
“It no longer made sense for for me to go over there because they didn’t want to pay us the money that we deserve because then for the rest of the the time of the deal, they’re going to have to pay everybody else more. And so then I decided to look elsewhere.”
Rousey vs. Carano is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The event is being promoted by Most Valuable Promotions and will stream live on Netflix.
Rousey’s full appearance on The Jim Rome Show is available below, with the video queued to her comments about the negotiations with Dana White and the UFC.
Dave Meltzer goes back to his MMA writing roots to explain the story behind Tuesday’s announcement of UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey vs. former Strikeforce legend Gina Carano and the long road to get there.
UFC Hall of Fame member Ronda Rousey attempted to get her newly-announced fight with Gina Carano in the Octagon, but there was apparently no interest from UFC in hosting it.
Announced on Tuesday, Rousey will fight Carano for the first time ever in both woman’s first fight in years and in a fight that was once attempted to be made in UFC but was derailed due to misrouted texts to Carano that referred to her as a “bitch.”
Speaking to ESPN MMA Tuesday, Rousey said she reached out to Dana White to ask if he was interested in it.
“…It didn’t exactly work out with the UFC, but it led us her today,” she said, not saying if White or TKO leadership turned down the idea and for what reason.
Rousey said the idea for the fight has been in process for more than a year as while she was pregnant with her second child, she saw Carano and didn’t think she looked good and wanted to do anything she could to help as “I owe her immensely.” She said as much as Carano needs this fight, she also needs it.
“We fought for this. We fought to fight each other,” Rousey said, mentioned both women had to work together to overcome obstacles to get to this point.
The 145-pound MMA fight will take place on Saturday, May 16 from Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome, promoted by Jake Paul’s MVP promotion and airing live on Netflix.
The 39-year-old Rousey last competed in December 2016 in a first round TKO loss to Amanda Nunes while the 43-year-old Carano last fought in August 2009 in a first round loss to Cris Cyborg.
Nearly a decade after her final UFC fight, Ronda Rousey is returning to mixed martial arts.
Women’s MMA legends Rousey and Gina Carano will face off for the first time ever on Saturday, May 16. The superfight is being held in Inglewood, California at the Intuit Dome and will stream live on Netflix, marking the first time the streaming giant has ever aired a live MMA event. MVP Promotions (founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian) and Netflix are partnering together for the fight.
Rousey last competed in MMA when she lost to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016. She then transitioned over to pro wrestling for WWE and has recently been pursuing a career as a writer. Facing Carano is a dream fight that Rousey has wanted for a long time.
“Been waiting so long to announce this,” Rousey said in a press release. “Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest superfight in women’s combat sport history, and we’re partnering with the fighter-first promoter, MVP, as well as the baddest streamer on the planet, Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present, and future.”
The fight will be held inside of a hexagon cage and will be professionally sanctioned with five rounds of five minutes each. Rousey and Carano will fight at featherweight (145 pounds).
Like with Netflix’s boxing specials, this event will be available for all Netflix subscribers at no additional charge.
“After the record-breaking success in boxing, we wanted our first MMA event to be truly legendary,” said Netflix VP of Sports Gabe Spitzer. “These are more than just athletes — they are generational stars, and having them headline our MMA debut at the Intuit Dome is a defining moment for us.”
Rousey getting back into combat sports had been rumored in recent months, with speculation centered around either an MMA fight against Carano or boxing match against Katie Taylor.
“Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for, and it’s been her dream to make this fight happen between us,” Carano said. “She thanked me for opening up doors for her career and was respectful in asking for this fight to happen. This is an honor. I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win, and I anticipate it will not come easy, which I welcome. This is as much for Ronda and I as it is for the fans and mixed martial arts community. What a time to be alive.”
When Detroit was announced for Wrestlemania 23, as the 20th anniversary of what many feel was the WWF’s crowning achievement, the one sure thing for the show would be Hulk Hogan returning to the scene (well, close to it, since the Pontiac Silverdome is no longer around) of his bodyslam of Andre the Giant in what may be the single most famous pro wrestling match ever in North America.
The first match planned for the show was Hogan vs. Big Show with the idea of redoing the match. However, Show’s body was thrashed in his months as ECW champion, and he decided against signing a new deal. It was still a surprise when the company, instead of making a push to offer Show a one match comeback, changed direction for the Great Khali. Directions then changed again to Shane McMahon. Then, over the past week, things fell apart with Hogan.
Bellator had a surprise for the MMA world Tuesday with the announcement of their move to Showtime, their second network change in six months.
I had some questions about how the whole thing went down and how they can recapture some attention when things kick off in April. Helping me dissect and speculate is John Nash of Bloody Elbow, a new member of the Three Time Club.
Of course, that wasn’t all that happened this week.
After a quick discussion regarding the national anthem controversy in the U.S., we jump into the Bellator/Showtime news, how this is a potential play for new subscribers based on the Bellator audience, and how Bellator can try to get some of that Strikeforce magic once again.
We also talk about former MMA star Gina Carano’s strange week and losing her Star Wars universe/Disney+ gig based on Instagram posts. (Note: this was recorded before her announcement Friday of writing, producing and starring in a movie for The Daily Wire.)
We wrap up with a chat about the latest in the UFC antitrust lawsuit and what lies ahead that could change the UFC’s business forever.
Former Strikeforce women’s MMA star Gina Carano will no longer play Cara Dune on the popular Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian following a controversial Instagram post.
The 38-year-old fighter turned actress was fired from both Lucasfilm and talent agency UTA following a now-deleted Wednesday Instagram post where she equated being a conservative in the current political climate to being a Jewish person during the Holocaust:
“Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors… even by children… Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?”
It’s not the first time Carano has drawn ire for her viewpoints as November posts on social media supporting unproven U.S. voter fraud and not wearing masks during the pandemic caused issues. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the studio had been looking for a way out of the Carano business since those posts, abandoning a plan in December to announce her character as lead in an upcoming Star Wars series.
In a statement, Lucasfilm said, “Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future. Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”
After Carano’s fighting career was done in August 2009 following a one-sided loss to Cris “Cyborg” Justino, she moved into acting with roles in Haywire, Fast & The Furious 6, Deadpool, and others. There was talk of her returning to fight Ronda Rousey at one point in 2014-2015 but an errant text from UFC president Dana White calling her a “bitch” and then doubling down on that statement ended those negotiations.
