INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Ronda Rousey says her May 16 fight with Gina Carano is the biggest fight in mixed martial arts and they are both excited to end their long retirements in the long-awaited showdown.
Rousey and Carano made their first public appearance Tuesday to promote their comeback fight at the Intuit Dome.
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“This is the biggest fight in MMA right now,” Rousey said. “There are no two people in this sport who are more internationally renowned than me and Gina – other than Conor (McGregor), but no one would approve of that.”
Both fighters are pioneers in the sport of women’s mixed martial arts. Carano became one of the sport’s earliest television stars in the 2000s, before Rousey’s talents single-handedly convinced the UFC to create a women’s division in the 2010s.
But the sport outgrew the MMA icons, who all turned to entertainment careers after their star power seemed to exceed their abilities. Carano, who turns 44 next month, has not fought since 2009, while Rousey, 39, last fought in 2016 when she had two children.
But neither fighter has given up on MMA completely, and this fight is too tempting to pass up.
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“We only live once and this makes me feel alive,” said Carano, who also revealed for the first time that she is married to her long-term partner, Muay Thai fighter Kevin Rose.
Although the fighters’ careers have taken long detours, Rousey and Carano have finally decided to return for a fight that has been anticipated and predicted for years.
Carano said that while she never officially retired, she was convinced to return after a lengthy conversation with Rousey. Rousey was still pregnant when she proposed the match more than a year ago.
“This is the only fight I want to come back to and the only fight that motivates me so much,” Rousey said.
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Rousey harshly criticized the UFC’s financial offer for being well below what she would earn for the fight. Rousey initially wanted to make a comeback with a sports-led promotion on the last pay-per-view card, but she declined the offer.
Rousey said she still likes UFC president Dana White, but the promotion’s corporate overlords have strangled fighters’ wages.
“The focus now is on changing the entire landscape of the sport and challenging the juggernaut that the UFC has become,” Rousey said.
The Netflix show is promoted by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, but Rousey has made it clear that she’s actively involved in the promotion. Paul hopes to promote more MMA shows in the future.
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The game, expected to feature five five-minute rounds, will be the main event at Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer’s lavish new arena south of downtown Los Angeles.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will also appear on the card, taking on 40-year-old Felipe Lins.
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