Ronda Rousey would come back to fighting for Gina Carano matchup
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has closed the door on fighting. The current WWE star recently had her first child with husband Travis Browne, and hasn’t competed inside the octagon since 2016 after getting knocked out by Amanda Nunes at UFC 207.
While the “Rowdy” one may have no plans to compete in MMA again, she didn’t shy away from stating who could possibly bring her out of retirement.
“There’s only one person I would come back for,” Rousey said while speaking on The Kurt Angle Show (h/t POST Wrestling). “I’ve said it a million times, it’s not like it’s something new but for Gina, Gina Carano. She’s the reason why I got into fighting, she’s the reason why I knew it was a possibility. I will always be forever grateful.”
Carano has not competed in mixed martial arts since 2009, so the likelihood of the two women making a comeback to face one another is slim to none.
Both former fighters have gone on to find fame on the Silver Screen in Hollywood. Carano has starred in a number of films and also made a name for herself on Disney’s The Mandalorian, while Rousey enjoyed acting roles in The Expendables 3 and Furious 7, among others.
Carano was undefeated in MMA up until her final bout, a featherweight matchup against Cris Cyborg, the first time two women had ever headlined a major MMA card.
Rousey who later competed for Strikeforce as well, would then become one of first woman to ever compete in the UFC octagon when she fought Liz Carmouche in the promotion’s inaugural female bout.
A potential fight between Rousey and Carano was often talked about but never came to fruition.
“If she ever was like, ‘Ronda, I want to fight you tomorrow, 205 pounds,’ like, whatever the hell she wants — I’m not saying she’s 205 pounds, I’m sure she’s very svelte — if she wanted to come into my backyard and do the Rocky thing or, you know, ‘ding ding’ and we just do it in the backyard, I don’t care,” Rousey said. “I will fight Gina wherever she wants. Even if she doesn’t want to forever, leave that offer there.
“It’s a respect thing, not like a, ‘F*** you. I’m coming to get you.’ It’s just like, ‘Hey, if you ever wanna pull that card out, it’s there.’ I love her. Thank you Gina for everything you’ve done.”
