Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), the boxing promotion co-founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, announced Tuesday that Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will come out of retirement to fight each other on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The bout will stream live on Netflix, marking the platform's first MMA broadcast. The fight will be at 145 pounds (featherweight) over five five-minute rounds using 4-ounce gloves inside a hexagon cage.
Rousey (12-2) was the UFC's first female fighter, first women's bantamweight champion, and first female UFC Hall of Famer. She won six consecutive title defenses before losing to Holly Holm in 2015 and Amanda Nunes in 2016, after which she retired and pursued a WWE career. Carano (7-1) was a pioneering women's MMA figure who fought from 2006 to 2009, losing her final bout to Cris Cyborg in Strikeforce's inaugural women's featherweight championship. She then pursued an acting career.
Rousey confirmed she approached UFC president Dana White about hosting the fight but was turned down, leading her to partner with MVP. Carano said Rousey personally approached her, saying Carano was the only fighter she would come back for. Netflix VP of Sports Gabe Spitzer cited the platform's record-breaking Paul vs. Tyson boxing event as context for pursuing a "truly legendary" MMA debut.
A press conference is scheduled for March 5. Additional bouts for the card will be announced in coming weeks.