Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey is preparing to return to mixed martial arts after nearly a decade away. She will face Gina Carano on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The event will be promoted by Most Valuable Promotions and streamed live on Netflix.
Before signing the deal, Rousey reached out to UFC CEO Dana White to see if the fight could happen inside the octagon. Talks began last year, but the two sides were unable to finalize terms.
Speaking at the post fight press conference during UFC Houston, White confirmed the discussions.
“Her and I have been talking about this since last year,” White said about Rousey. “It just didn’t work out. But I’m happy for her.
“Listen, me and Gina are in a really good place, we weren’t at one point. I’m happy for both of them.”
White added that he holds no resentment about the matchup taking place outside the UFC.
Money and Broadcast Changes Played a Role
Rousey later explained that financial structure became the main issue. The UFC recently secured a seven year media rights deal worth 7.7 billion dollars to move its events to Paramount. With that change, the traditional pay per view system ended at the start of 2026.
Rousey said her original expectations were based on a different structure. Once pay per view revenue was removed, she asked for a guaranteed purse instead.
“It no longer made sense for me to go over there because they didn’t want to pay us the money we deserve,” Rousey said. “Because then from the rest of the time the deal, they’re going to have to pay everybody else more. So then I decided to look elsewhere.”
Dana White is asked about Ronda Rousey’s recent comments and the upcoming Rousey/Carano bout: Her and I have been talking about this since last year and it just didn’t work out. I’m happy…listen me and Gina are in a really good place, we weren’t at one point and I’m happy for… pic.twitter.com/SokCSDmJv9
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) February 22, 2026
That decision led her to Most Valuable Promotions, which partnered with Netflix to stage the bout.
The fight marks a major moment for both athletes. Rousey was the first woman to hold a UFC title and helped bring women’s divisions into the spotlight. Carano played a key role in building early interest in women’s MMA before moving into film and television.
Now both competitors return to action on a global streaming platform rather than inside the UFC cage. While the promotion will not host the bout, White’s comments show that discussions were serious before both sides chose different paths.
