Ronda Rousey returns to the MMA cage tonight against Gina Carano on Netflix, but a return to the wrestling ring could still be in the former WWE Champion’s future.
As for what Rousey has said about what comes after tonight, she seems pretty intent on being the “Dana White” of MVP MMA. She certainly has a history of building up financially lucrative fights. Provided her bout with Carano is as successful as Rousey believes it will be, Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian might consider giving her the role.
Rousey will likely be back in wrestling eventually, but how things shake up with MVP MMA could determine where we see her next.
What’s next for Ronda Rousey after Gina Carano fight?
Although she has been very critical of her final run in the company, and of TKO’s handling of the UFC, a potential return to WWE is not out of the question for Rousey.
During an interview with Complex to build up her fight with Carano, Rousey did not have kind words for Vince McMahon, but did say she’d always been “Team Triple H” and had been a big proponent of him taking over.
“I’ve heard it’s been much better since (Triple H’s) taken things over, but unfortunately I didn’t get to experience it,” Rousey said.
That comment just opens the door enough that the two sides could have discussions. If Rousey decides to make a little bit more money with one more WWE run, the option is there for her.
However, all of this depends on Rousey’s potential future involvement with MVP MMA.
Ronda Rousey | AEW (Image credit: @JJWilliamsWON)
Will Ronda Rousey return to AEW?
Given the TKO/UFC conflict with MVP MMA, a Rousey return to wrestling is probably more likely to occur in AEW.
It felt as though the angle at AEW Revolution with Toni Storm was meant to lead to more, but that never materialized following Storm being written off television. However, reports after the show stated it was just a one-off to promote the Carano fight.
Rousey has said she had a good time in the role.
“One thing I really love about AEW is that it’s not PG like WWE. So I can walk in there and flick everybody off and walk out and laugh with my best friend and have a great time. I didn’t feel as edited as before. So yeah, it was a good time,” Rousey said to Complex.
She definitely seemed like she was having a good time when she joined Marina Shafir in giving Jon Moxley a few chops before his match as well.
It sounds like Rousey had the kind of fun during her one AEW appearance that she didn’t have in WWE. Whether that leads to doing more in the future remains to be seen, but something feels unfinished between her and Toni Storm.
Ronda Rousey makes a surprise appearance at AEW Revolution. (Image credit: JJ Williams)
Will Ronda Rousey disappear into the sunset after Gina Carano fight on Netflix?
Rousey has two young kids and sounds like she wants to have more of them. She’s often spoken about wanting to disappear into the sunset with a large family.
“I feel like I gotta grow up. I gotta grow up and go have some more kids, and go to some soccer matches or something,” she said to ClutchPoints recently (transcription credit: Fightful).
It just seems that there is always something to pull her back into the spotlight, though.
Rousey knows the impact she has on any industry she touches. Nothing sums it up better than this quote from her recent interview with Sports Illustrated.
“I’m very aware that women are headlining WWE because of me,” Rousey said. “That women are headlining and making big paydays in boxing because of me. In bare-knuckle boxing, in full-contact karate, in everything that’s a contact sport. I’m very, very proud of seeing all the success the women are having, because I was able to prove their commercial viability, and everyone’s trying to recapture that lightning in a bottle.
“I’m so happy to see it. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully understand the scope of those ripple effects — nor anybody else — but that’s not why you do it. I’m very, very proud, and it’s very cool to see. I’m glad it’s got to the point that things are so different that people forget how it used to be. I’m not mad at that. I’m proud.”
Rousey knows the impact she can have, and I don’t think she’s done making it.
As she returns to mixed martial arts for one more fight, Ronda Rousey is comfortable with the legacy she’s already secured.
Rousey told The Takedown on SI that she’s “very proud” to have made a big impact for women across combat sports. That includes WWE, where Rousey believes women are headlining shows because of her. She proved her drawing power in the UFC before ever getting into pro wrestling, then joined WWE for two separate stints.
“I’m very aware that women are headlining WWE because of me,” Rousey said. “That women are headlining and making big paydays in boxing because of me. In bare-knuckle boxing, in full-contact karate, in everything that’s a contact sport. I’m very, very proud of seeing all the success the women are having, because I was able to prove their commercial viability, and everyone’s trying to recapture that lightning in a bottle.
“I’m so happy to see it. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully understand the scope of those ripple effects — nor anybody else — but that’s not why you do it. I’m very, very proud, and it’s very cool to see. I’m glad it’s got to the point that things are so different that people forget how it used to be. I’m not mad at that. I’m proud.”
Rousey participated in the first-ever women’s match to main event WrestleMania, facing Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match in 2019. That marked the end of her first WWE run, but she later returned from 2022-2023.
This Saturday, Rousey battles Gina Carano in Netflix’s first live MMA special. Rousey views the dream matchup as the perfect way to end her time in MMA and claims she is not planning to fight again after this.
Saturday’s event is taking place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California and will stream live starting at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Dave Meltzer leads off with a look back at last weekend’s WWE Backlash, including his match ratings and analysis.
He also does a deep dive into this Saturday’s Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight on Netflix and all the news and interesting quotes from Rousey leading into it.
Dave looks at Hiroyoshi Tenzan’s retirement announcement, the Triller legal in-fighting drama and how AEW is involved, a preview of ROH Supercard of Honor, plus all the news and happenings from all around the world of wrestling and MMA.
Please note there will be no WON next Friday as Dave takes a well-earned vacation, virtually ensuring a massive news story will break.
Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano is set to take place this weekend from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. During the last press conference for the first ever MVP MMA event, Rousey admitted that she would be hesitant when it came to breaking the arm of her opponent Carano during the fight, despite the mutual respect the two appear to have for each other.
“I definitely wouldn’t have any hesitation in breaking it” Rousey replied when asked if she would be hesitant to break her opponent’s arm during the fight. “But I also wouldn’t hesitate in putting it back in place, it’s kind of a wax on wax off kind of situation. You know, you don’t really break it, you just kind of dislocate it” Rousey added.
“It’s not that bad, I’ve had my elbow go out several times because I didn’t tap and I thought I was really cool when I was young and I wouldn’t pay for it when I was older. But yeah, I wouldn’t hesitate and I would make sure to put it back” Rousey finished.
Ronda Rousey Armbar
Rousey averaged 4.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes in the UFC, the highest figure in women’s bantamweight history (via UFCStats). Her average fight time across 12 pro bouts is 3 minutes and 5 seconds. Eleven of her 12 wins are finishes, most by armbar. It’s very likely that ‘Rowdy’ will try to use her standard template of close the distance, tie up in the clinch, throw with a hip toss, take side control and isolate the arm in this fight.
Ronda Rousey will be facing Gina Carano this weekend in the main event of MVP’s first ever MMA card on Netflix. While the dream fight between arguably the two biggest names in Women’s MMA history is coming a few years too late, it’s still going to be a massive moment in the sport and both women will be reportedly be getting paid handsomely for their work.
Speaking to talkSPORT in the UK, Rousey noted that she and Carano are going to break the record for Women’s pay in an MMA fight: “The biggest money fight is the biggest fight period. And we [Kayla Harrison] honestly have very different definitions of greatness. Mine is making history, making a cultural impact and influencing the future of the sport. I’ve already won a record eight consecutive title fights, there’s nothing left for me to do in UFC. So now me and Gina are smashing the record for the most women have been paid in combat sports.”
The actual number that both women are being paid for the fight has not been confirmed publicly, but it was revealed that the minimum any fighter on the card would be getting is $40,000, even in a loss. It’s worth noting that Rousey’s last reported purse in the UFC was $3m, so there’s a good chance this number will eclipse that should her claim be legitimate.
Rousey vs Carano Card
Here is how the fight card stacks up as of writing:
Rousey vs Carano MVP MMA 1 MAIN CARD (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Netflix)
Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano
Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry
Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins
Salahdine Parnasse vs. Kenneth Cross
Junior dos Santos vs. Robelis Despaigne
Rousey vs Carano MVP MMA 1 PRELIMS (6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT on Tudum and MVP YouTube)
Two of the most consequential women in MMA history finally meet, the only problem is its 17 years too late. Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano headlines the first Most Valuable Promotions MMA card on Saturday, May 16 at the Intuit Dome, contesting a 145lb bout over five five-minute rounds on Netflix.
Rousey vs Carano – Tale of the tape
Stat
Rousey
Carano
Age
39
44
Height
5’7″
5’8″
Stance
Orthodox
Orthodox
Record
12-2
7-1
Finish rate
92% (11/12 wins)
57% (4/7 wins)
Avg. fight time
3m 05s
Multi-round average
Last fight
Dec 30, 2016
Aug 15, 2009
Layoff
~9.5 years
~16.5 years
Background
Olympic judo (2008 bronze)
Muay Thai
Rousey vs Carano – Striking breakdown
Carano is the better technical striker on paper, and her career numbers back that up. She averages 4.50 significant strikes landed per minute against Rousey’s 4.17 (via UFCStats), absorbs at a rate of 2.66 against Rousey’s 4.14, and her listed strike defense is 64% to Rousey’s 44%. She hits more, gets hit less, and has the cleaner Muay Thai pedigree (via UFCStats).
Striking stat
Rousey
Carano
Sig. strikes landed per minute
4.17
4.50
Sig. strike accuracy
52%
47%
Sig. strikes absorbed per minute
4.14
2.66
Sig. strike defense
44%
64%
Career KO/TKO wins
3
3
It’s worth noting here though that Carano’s stats are 17 years old and built against EliteXC-tier opposition. Rousey’s boxing was always a liability, we saw her chin give out under both Holm and Nunes, but her numbers are inflated by short fights where she managed to dictate the terms. Neither fighter has the modern footwork or kicking arsenal you’d expect from a 2026 featherweight fighter, but that’s not so much of an issue when they’re facing each other rather than current competition.
Rousey vs Carano – Grappling breakdown
Rousey averages 6.26 takedowns per 15 minutes at 68% accuracy and 4.8 submission attempts per 15, which is still the highest figure in WMMA history despite Rousey having not fought since 2016. Nine of her 12 career wins come by submission, mostly armbars. Carano lands 1.24 takedowns per 15 and has exactly one career submission win (a rear-naked choke from 2007).
Grappling stat
Rousey
Carano
Takedowns per 15 min
6.26
1.24
Takedown accuracy
68%
66%
Takedown defense
50%
85% (small sample)
Submission attempts per 15
4.8
1.6
Career submission wins
9
1
It’s again worth noting here that Carano’s 85% takedown defense was built against fighters who weren’t 2008 Olympic medalists, so you can throw that out of the window against a judoka of Rousey’s caliber.
The intangibles
Layoff – Carano’s 16-year absence is the longest of any fighter in a 2026 main event by some distance, and rust always shows up first when it comes to timing and footwork in the cage, which is the one thing she can’t afford to lose.
Age – Carano is 44, Rousey is 39.
Weight class – Rousey is moving up 10 lbs to Carano’s natural division, which strips the speed advantage that carried most of her UFC run.
How the fight likely unfolds
Rousey’s only sensible path is to close the distance, eat one or two strikes on the way in, secure the clinch, and convert to a hip toss inside 60 seconds.
Carano’s only sensible path is to keep her hips back, jab the range, and throw her right hand the moment Rousey ducks. If the fight reaches round two, then I think the stylistic edge tilts hard to Carano, she’s the more rounded striker and Rousey’s gas tank after nine years off is the biggest unknown on the card. The whole question is whether Rousey can get her hands on Carano before Carano can land flush. My prediction though is that she can and likely finishes the fight inside the first round.
The market is in near-total agreement for MVP’s first MMA event: Ronda Rousey wins, probably in round one, probably by submission, and the only real variable is by how much. The variance between books is so narrow it tells you the market has almost no uncertainty about the result.
Rousey’s price ranges from 1/7 (shortest quote on the board) to 2/11 (the majority position), translating to an implied win probability of roughly 85-88%. Carano sits at 4/1 with most books (drifting out to 421/100 on one major one in the UK), an implied probability of 19-22% before the bookmaker’s margin is stripped out.
Win market across 24 bookmakers
Outcome
Best price
Most common
Implied probability
Ronda Rousey
1/7
2/11
85-88%
Gina Carano
421/100 (exchange)
4/1
19-22%
Round odds tell the real story
The where-and-when market is more revealing than the straight winner. Books have priced Round 1 as the favorite by a long way, with Rousey-by-Round-1 alone implying a 47.6% chance she finishes the fight inside the first five minutes.
Outcome
Odds
Implied probability
Rousey by Round 1
11/10
47.6%
Rousey by Round 2
24/5
17.2%
Rousey by Round 3
11/1
8.3%
Rousey by Round 4
20/1
4.8%
Rousey by Round 5
35/1
2.8%
Rousey by decision
14/1
6.7%
Carano by Round 1
12/1
7.7%
Carano by Round 2
19/1
5.0%
Carano by Round 3
28/1
3.4%
Carano by Round 4
45/1
2.2%
Carano by Round 5
66/1
1.5%
Carano by decision
25/1
3.8%
Draw
100/1
1.0%
Combine the two Round 1 outcomes and the market is signaling roughly a 55% chance the fight ends inside the opening five minutes, by either fighter. That’s an extraordinary number for a 145lb bout and reflects the punching power of Carano, the finishing rate of Rousey, and a shared profile of two fighters with no recent gas tank to fall back on.
Round group market
Outcome
Odds
Implied probability
Rousey wins Round 1-3
3/10
76.9%
Carano wins Round 1-3
5/1
16.7%
Rousey wins Round 4-decision
7/1
12.5%
Carano wins Round 4-decision
13/1
7.1%
The 3/10 quote on Rousey finishing inside three rounds is the strongest single number on the page. Books are saying there’s roughly a 77% chance she wraps this up before the ‘championship’ rounds, and only a 12.5% chance she’s still working past round three.
What the market consensus actually means
Three statistical signals stand out. First, there’s no divergence on the winner, Rousey’s price has barely moved in fight week, and no book is trying to attract action by stretching her price. Second, the decision market is effectively dead: the combined “fight goes the distance” implied probability across both fighters is only around 10.5%. Third, Carano’s path to victory is priced almost entirely as a Round 1 puncher’s chance. Past the first horn her implied probability collapses below 5% per round, which is the bookmakers’ way of saying she lands early, or she doesn’t land at all.
I think Ronda Rousey wins this, but it all depends on cage rust and where she is mentally. The market has her at -650 across major books, and I’d say that’s about right…maybe even a tad too low. My pick is Rousey winning by first-round armbar inside 90 seconds, but I’m not THAT confident.
Rousey averaged 4.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes in the UFC, the highest figure in women’s bantamweight history (via UFCStats). Her average fight time across 12 pro bouts is 3 minutes and 5 seconds. Eleven of her 12 wins are finishes, most by armbar. Carano has never been submitted in a pro MMA bout, but her last pro fight was way back in 2009, so I think that record potentially gets busted this weekend if Rousey comes in like the fighter she was in her prime (which isn’t a guarantee at all).
Rousey vs Carano Career stats compared
Stat
Rousey
Carano
Record
12-2
7-1
Wins by submission
9
1
Wins by KO/TKO
3
3
Wins by decision
0
3
Sig. strikes landed/min
4.17
4.50
Sig. strike accuracy
52%
47%
Sig. strikes absorbed/min
4.14
2.66
Sig. strike defense
44%
64%
Takedown avg / 15 min
6.26
1.24
Takedown accuracy
68%
66%
Takedown defense
50%
85%
Sub. attempts / 15 min
4.8
1.6
Last fight
Dec 30, 2016 (KO loss, Nunes, R1 0:48)
Aug 15, 2009 (TKO loss, Cyborg, R1 4:59)
Age at fight night
39
44
Height
5’7″
5’8″
Layoff
~9.5 years
~16.5 years
How Ronda Rousey wins this
Rousey closes the distance, ties up in the clinch, throws Carano with a hip toss or harai goshi, takes side control and isolates the arm. That’s been her template since 2011, and nothing on Carano’s resume suggests she is going to be able to stop it here.
Carano’s takedown defense was never tested against a truly elite level grappler (Cyborg didn’t need to wrestle her). Against an Olympic-level judoka who’s been drilling armbars for 20 years, a 16-year layoff isn’t going to do her any favors.
How Gina Carano wins this
The case for Carano, and there is a slight one, rests on Rousey’s chin and where she is mentally. Two of her last three fights ended with her unconscious: Holly Holm head-kicked her in 59 seconds of round two and Amanda Nunes obliterated her in 48 seconds. Carano hits hard, is naturally bigger at 145, and only needs one clean right hand to rock Rousey, so there’s a chance it happens.
My prediction
As I’ve already said, I can see Rousey by armbar, round one, inside 90 seconds. If Carano is able to survive the opening five minutes, the whole shape of the fight changes. Rousey’s gas tank after nine years out is the real unknown here, and Carano’s striking volume could start to work in her favor if Rousey starts to slow down. Having said that, if Rousey is where she needs to be from a confidence standpoint…I don’t see this fight reaching round two.
The honest weakness in my pick here is cage rust and the weight of the event on both fighters. Both women are deep into their layoffs, and timing under cage lights is always the first thing to go. If Rousey’s grip slips on that first armbar attempt, then it affects her confidence and the mental game starts to work against her.
Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano headlines the first MMA card ever broadcast on Netflix, and the main card starts at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT on Saturday, May 16, 2026 from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Main event ring walks land around 11 PM ET / 8 PM PT, roughly 4 AM Sunday in the UK and 1 PM Sunday on Australia’s east coast, and Prelims kick off three hours earlier.
The broadcast opens with five prelim fights at 6 PM ET. The main card, including Nate Diaz vs Mike Perry and Francis Ngannou vs Philipe Lins, begins at 9 PM ET.
Rousey vs Carano Global start times
Region
Timezone
Prelims
Main card
Rousey vs Carano (est.)
US East Coast
EDT (UTC−4)
6 PM Sat
9 PM Sat
11 PM Sat
US Central
CDT (UTC−5)
5 PM Sat
8 PM Sat
10 PM Sat
US Mountain
MDT (UTC−6)
4 PM Sat
7 PM Sat
9 PM Sat
US Pacific
PDT (UTC−7)
3 PM Sat
6 PM Sat
8 PM Sat
Alaska
AKDT (UTC−8)
2 PM Sat
5 PM Sat
7 PM Sat
Hawaii
HST (UTC−10)
12 PM Sat
3 PM Sat
5 PM Sat
Mexico City
CST (UTC−6)
4 PM Sat
7 PM Sat
9 PM Sat
Brazil
BRT (UTC−3)
7 PM Sat
10 PM Sat
12 AM Sun
Argentina
ART (UTC−3)
7 PM Sat
10 PM Sat
12 AM Sun
UK
BST (UTC+1)
11 PM Sat
2 AM Sun
4 AM Sun
Ireland
IST (UTC+1)
11 PM Sat
2 AM Sun
4 AM Sun
Portugal
WEST (UTC+1)
11 PM Sat
2 AM Sun
4 AM Sun
Nigeria
WAT (UTC+1)
11 PM Sat
2 AM Sun
4 AM Sun
Central Europe
CEST (UTC+2)
12 AM Sun
3 AM Sun
5 AM Sun
South Africa
SAST (UTC+2)
12 AM Sun
3 AM Sun
5 AM Sun
Greece/Turkey
EEST (UTC+3)
1 AM Sun
4 AM Sun
6 AM Sun
Saudi Arabia
AST (UTC+3)
1 AM Sun
4 AM Sun
6 AM Sun
UAE
GST (UTC+4)
2 AM Sun
5 AM Sun
7 AM Sun
Pakistan
PKT (UTC+5)
3 AM Sun
6 AM Sun
8 AM Sun
India
IST (UTC+5:30)
3:30 AM Sun
6:30 AM Sun
8:30 AM Sun
Thailand
ICT (UTC+7)
5 AM Sun
8 AM Sun
10 AM Sun
Singapore/Hong Kong
SGT/HKT (UTC+8)
6 AM Sun
9 AM Sun
11 AM Sun
China
CST (UTC+8)
6 AM Sun
9 AM Sun
11 AM Sun
Japan/South Korea
JST/KST (UTC+9)
7 AM Sun
10 AM Sun
12 PM Sun
Perth
AWST (UTC+8)
6 AM Sun
9 AM Sun
11 AM Sun
Adelaide/Darwin
ACST (UTC+9:30)
7:30 AM Sun
10:30 AM Sun
12:30 PM Sun
Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane
AEST (UTC+10)
8 AM Sun
11 AM Sun
1 PM Sun
New Zealand
NZST (UTC+12)
10 AM Sun
1 PM Sun
3 PM Sun
When to actually tune in
If you only care about the main event, the realistic window is around 11 PM ET / 4 AM BST / 1 PM AEST. Build in a thirty-minute buffer either side. Undercards run long, and Most Valuable Promotions hasn’t staged a full MMA event before, so cage walks easily could drift later than expected.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Filthy Tom Lawlor is back with tons to talk about including a full recap of NXT from Tuesday night, update on Chelsea Green, the Arizona/TKO situation and what we know, Dynamite line-up for tonight, the Swerve angle, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
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.
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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.
Ronda Rousey discussed the chaos during her WWE run under Vince McMahon’s regime.
In an interview with Complex News, Rousey revisited her WWE career, stating that she felt she was portraying an impression of herself rather than being authentic.
“I felt like I was doing somebody else’s impression of myself. You can tell when I was allowed to write my own promos and when I wasn’t. I learned a lot from it and I really enjoyed my time in the ring. I didn’t really enjoy being under the death throes of Vince McMahon’s reign, but there were a lot of great experiences in there.”
Rousey also talked about working extensively while Vince McMahon was in leadership. She expressed last minute changes were frustrating to work with after much planning for matches and events.
“I mean the second run, Vince was just more far gone and more difficult to work with and there was a lot of inner turmoil going on in the company. It was kind of a sh*t show and nobody ever knew what was going on. And you would get to the arena and you would be made to do something that somebody threw in your lap that wasn’t, hadn’t thought about it until 15 minutes before. Everything was super last minute and not well thought out and there was no communication, no back and forth.”
Rousey stated the anxiety among the chaos and was rooting for Triple H to take over as the in charge.
“Any attempt to collaborate felt like we were trying to negotiate something as opposed to partnering together to make something great. And unfortunately I love being out there in the ring and doing it, but the process was just like cluster f*ck, sh*t show that it was so much more anxiety than it was worth. I just look back at it and I just remember the anxiety of not knowing what was going on and then at the last minute, maybe we’d be able to pull it out of our a** and have a good night and maybe not. I was definitely team Triple H to get up to take it over. Yeah. So, I’ve heard it’s been much better since he’s taken things over, but unfortunately I didn’t get to experience it.”
Rousey had two stints with WWE from within 2017 and 2023. She made an appearance at AEW Revolution to side with real-life friend and former WWE wrestler, Marina Shafir following her match against Toni Storm.
Rousey is gearing up to fight Gina Carano on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. It will stream live on Netflix.
