Rusty Weiss
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey was feeling incredibly confident at Tuesday’s kickoff press conference for her highly anticipated comeback fight against Gina Carano.
In fact, Rousey is insisting she is entering the bout in the absolute peak form of her career.
The showdown, set for Saturday, May 16, at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and streaming live exclusively on Netflix, marks Rousey’s first MMA appearance in about ten years.
After nearly a decade away from the cage—during which she transitioned to WWE and other ventures—Rousey, now 39, appeared energized and unapologetically self-assured as she addressed the media.
“I’m better than I’ve ever been,” she told TMZ Sports. “I’m definitely better than I’ve ever been.”
Ronda Rousey Never Been Better: Ex-UFC Champ Claims Peak Form Ahead of Gina Carano Comeback Clash
Rousey doubled down, focusing on her technical improvements in fighting.
“I’ve never been more skilled. My technique’s never been better. I’ve never had a higher fight IQ,” she added. “This is definitely the best that I’ve ever been.”
Rousey attributed her enhanced abilities to superior coaching and a more structured training environment compared to her dominant UFC run, when she said her early coaches lacked deep MMA expertise.
Plus, it was hard to prepare for fights in which Rousey oftenttimes would drop her opponent in minutes, if not seconds.
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The fight represents a dream matchup for fans who have speculated about Rousey vs. Carano for over a decade, pitting two pioneers of women’s MMA against each other.
This long-rumored “dream matchup” marks rare comebacks for both icons in this sport.
Carano, often called the “Face of Women’s MMA” for her early trailblazing (including headlining the first major women’s MMA event in 2009), retired from competition that year to pursue acting roles in films like Haywire, Fast & Furious 6, and The Mandalorian.
Rousey, a former UFC Bantamweight Champion, Olympic judoka, and pioneer who dominated women’s MMA in the 2010s before transitioning to WWE and acting, last fought in 2016.
Rousey controversially claimed in a 2024 interview that “I’m the greatest fighter that has ever lived.”
She had been reflecting on her mindset at the time of her fight with Holly Holm at UFC 193. That stunning defeat, coupled with a follow-up first-round TKO at the fists of Amanda Nunes in 2016, marked the end of her career.
Rousey has been somewhat less than gracious in offering a retrospective on the Holm fight. She’s offered excuses ranging from a “bad” mouthguard to a fall on the stairs and on to her weight loss at the time.
Before Holms, she was without question spectacular. She fought 6 times in the UFC and won all 6 bouts. All of them were via knockout or submission. Multiple times, she defeated her opponent in under 20 seconds.
To think she actually believes she’s better than she’s ever been. That could be scary.
Both competitors are outside their prime in the fight world, but fans will absolutely be salivating over this for nostalgia’s sake. Much like they did with the Mike Tyson–Jake Paul fight. Let’s hope it’s a much, much better product.