Ronda Rousey Says UFC Passed On Gina Carano Fight First

Rousey explained that the original plan involved staging the fight under the UFC banner around New Year’s Eve under the promotion’s traditional pay-per-view structure.

“I wanted to bring this to him first,” Rousey said, referring to White. “I said, ‘I know I can do this on my own, but I would rather fight for you than to fight for me. Just make it make sense for me.’”

According to Rousey, the bout was initially discussed as the final fight to take place under the company’s pay-per-view model before the promotion moved deeper into streaming-era distribution.

She said the plan changed when Carano asked for additional time to prepare, which pushed the fight timeline beyond the original target date.

“Originally we were going to do a New Year’s, and it was going to be the last fight under the pay-per-view model,” Rousey said.

Once the timeline shifted, the deal with the UFC fell apart, and Rousey began exploring other options for staging the fight.

Rousey indicated that the company’s evolving business model also played a role in the negotiations stalling.

“Once they moved into the streaming model, it’s just not about putting on the best fights possible anymore,” she said.

The fight will now headline an MMA event promoted by Jake Paul and Nikisa Bidarian’s Most Valuable Promotions and will stream live on Netflix, marking the platform’s first MMA broadcast.

Rousey and Carano are widely regarded as two of the most recognizable figures in women’s mixed martial arts, though the matchup never materialized during their active careers.

The fight is scheduled for May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.