Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano made their first public appearance together on Tuesday, promoting their May 16th comeback fight — marking a historic return for both MMA pioneers.

Speaking to the press, Rousey declared the upcoming Netflix matchup the biggest fight in mixed martial arts today.

"There are no two people in this sport with more international name recognition than me and Gina — except Conor [McGregor], but no one is going to sanction that," she said.

Carano, who turns 44 next month, hasn't competed since 2009. The former Strikeforce star became the first major women's MMA celebrity in the 2000s before transitioning to an entertainment career.

Rousey last fought in 2016 before having two children, with the 39-year-old proposing the matchup over a year ago while still pregnant. "This is the only fight I wanted to come back for, the only fight that can inspire me like that," she said.

Both fighters moved beyond the ring as the sport continued to accelerate, as Rousey convinced UFC to create women's divisions in the 2010s after Carano proved female fighters could draw audiences.

At the press conference, Rousey sharply criticized the UFC for offering far less money than she'll receive for May's MMA fight. She said she initially wanted to return on a UFC pay-per-view card, but rejected their proposal.

How to Watch the Gina Carano vs Ronda Rousey MMA Fight on Netflix

Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions is behind the May 15th Netflix fight, set to run in five five-minute rounds. Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou also appears on the card against Philipe Lins.

Gina Carano is returning to MMA action after a 17-year absence, Most Valuable Promotions confirmed Tuesday, as Carano gears up to face Ronda Rousey live on Netflix on May 16th.

The bout marks Rousey's first MMA appearance since 2016 and Carano's first since 2009. Both fighters date back to the early days of women's MMA, helping to build the sport's mainstream audience. Carano competed from 2006 to 2009 before transitioning to an acting career that included roles in Haywire, Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool, and The Mandalorian.

Rousey became the first woman signed to the UFC in 2012. She went on to hold the women's bantamweight title with six consecutive defenses — still a UFC record. After losses to Holly Holm in 2015 and Amanda Nunes in 2016, Rousey stepped away from the ring, becoming a three-time WWE champion from 2018 to 2022.

"Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for," Carano said. "This is an honor. I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win."

Rousey framed the matchup as a major milestone. "Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest super fight in women's combat sport history," she said.

How to watch the Gina Carano vs Ronda Rousey MMA fight on Netflix

Using four-ounce gloves inside a hexagon cage, the May 16th bout will subsequently span five five-minute rounds under the Unified Rules of MMA. Most Valuable Promotions — co-founded by Jake Paul — is behind the event, broadcast live on Netflix.

A kickoff press conference is scheduled for March 5th in Los Angeles, with additional fights to be added at a later date.

Amanda Nunes, considered the greatest women’s fighter of all time, announced her retirement on Saturday at UFC 289.

Nunes shared her decision after defeating Irene Aldana via unanimous decision (50-43, 50-44, 50-44) to defend her UFC women’s bantamweight title at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“Double champion forever,” Nunes shouted into the microphone while her gloves were cut off. “This is the perfect night to retire.”

Asked after what she hopes she’s remembered for, Nunes didn’t hesitate. “The greatest of all time,” she said. “I did everything. I broke a lot of records.”

Nunes retires with the most wins in UFC women’s history (16), the most UFC women’s title fight wins (11), and most finishes in women’s UFC history (10).

Claressa Shields may have been down, but she wasn’t out.

Her ground game needs some work, as she was dominated on the ground for two straight rounds. But the two-time Olympic gold medalist was able to rebound in the third round. She stayed in a safe, kneeling position and landed huge punches to Brittney Elkin, finishing her off by TKO at 1 minute, 44 seconds. 

The first two rounds were rough for Shields, as Elkin was able to get her down in the first round, move to a full mount and land punches from the top. The second was more of the same. 

But Shields stopped an attempted takedown in the third, which then enabled her to find her position and keep punching until she earned the TKO. 

The win moves Shields to 1-0 in her MMA career while Elkin, now 3-7, is on a four-fight losing streak