Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano held one of their final faceoffs before Saturday’s MVP MMA 1 main event, and the stage stayed controlled instead of messy.
The two women stood across from each other after Thursday’s pre-fight press conference for the May 16 Netflix card. No shove, no shouting, no forced drama. Rousey and Carano kept the staredown still, then moved on with the same respectful tone that has followed most of the build.
The matchup carries real history even without a manufactured feud. Rousey is a former UFC women’s bantamweight champion, 2008 Olympic judo bronze medalist, and UFC Hall of Famer. Carano was one of the first women’s MMA stars to break through on major television, compiling a 7-1 record in EliteXC and Strikeforce before her 2009 loss to Cris Cyborg.
Carano has not fought professionally since that Strikeforce bout. Rousey has not fought in MMA since Amanda Nunes stopped her at UFC 207 in December 2016. Their return comes under Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, with Netflix carrying the card live from Los Angeles.
Watch the full faceoff video below:
Nate Diaz And Mike Perry End Final Faceoff With Fist Bump
The co-main event faceoff stayed just as controlled. Nate Diaz and Mike Perry squared up, held the stare, and ended the moment with a fist bump before their welterweight fight.
Diaz has avoided fake hostility during fight week. Perry has promised a violent fight, but he has not turned the build into a cartoon beef. Their matchup already has enough edge without stage nonsense. Diaz brings pressure, volume, clinch work, and a third-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Cesar Gracie. Perry brings power, durability, and the bare-knuckle run that rebuilt his name after his UFC exit.
Diaz owns a 21-13 MMA record and won The Ultimate Fighter 5 before becoming one of the UFC’s most recognizable action fighters. Perry went 14-8 in MMA, fought 15 times in the UFC, and later became BKFC’s “King of Violence” champion.
MiddleEasy covered the matchup’s early tone when Diaz and Perry kept their first MVP MMA 1 faceoff respectful. The final stage meeting did not change the temperature. It put both men one step closer to the actual fight.
Francis Ngannou also faced off with Philipe Lins before their heavyweight bout. Ngannou is a former UFC heavyweight champion and PFL Super Fights heavyweight champion. He returned to MMA after his boxing run and finished Renan Ferreira in the PFL. Lins is a former PFL heavyweight tournament winner and former UFC fighter.
The main card now has three recognizable hooks. Rousey vs. Carano brings the women’s MMA history. Diaz vs. Perry brings violence and name value. Ngannou vs. Lins brings heavyweight danger with one of the hardest punchers the sport has produced.
Rousey’s best path remains the clinch, the throw, and top control. Carano’s best path is space, clean entries, and damage before Rousey can force grappling exchanges. With both women returning after long MMA layoffs, timing may decide the opening minutes.
