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.
WNBA star Angel Reese is lighting up the silver screen, with the Chicago Sky forward racking up multiple film and TV credits during the league's offseason.
On Tuesday, Netflix revealed that Reese will play a character called "Trainer Barbie" in the second season of the streamer's hit show, The Hunting Wives.
Already a fan of the series, Reese's told Hunting Wives creator Rebecca Cutter to "just let me know if you need me for season 2" on X last summer — a conversation that helped spark the basketball star's casting.
Tuesday's news follows last week's announcement that Reese and Las Vegas Aces star center A'ja Wilson will each voice a role in the upcoming animated film GOAT, produced by the NBA's Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry.
When the film hits theaters on February 13th, fans will see Reese as Propp, a polar bear, while Wilson plays a reptile called Kouyate.
Reese first opened her acting portfolio by playing herself in a cameo in the October 2025 Netflix film A House of Dynamite, with Hunting Wives marking the 23-year-old's first foray into a scripted series.
The eight-episode second season of the Netflix show is currently in production, though a premiere date is still unknown.
The upcoming Netflix feature film about the 1999 USWNT World Cup team has landed a lead, with Deadline confirming on Wednesday that the streaming giant is tapping actor Emily Bader to play star forward Mia Hamm in The 99'ers.
The 29-year-old most recently starred in People We Meet on Vacation, which made its debut at No. 1 on Netflix last week.
Bader previously enjoyed a breakout turn in the Prime historical drama My Lady Jane, which dropped in June 2024.
Calling her role in The 99'ers "a dream come true," Bader celebrated her Netflix casting in her Instagram Stories on Wednesday.
"Growing up playing soccer and being so inspired by @miahamm," she wrote.
Netflix first acquired the rights to The Girls of Summer: The US Women's Soccer Team and How It Changed the World — a 2000 book by Jeré Longman — back in 2020, with the project officially going into development in May 2025.
Known for her directorial prowess on Sirens on Netflix as well as her Emmy and Director's Guild Award-winning work on HBO's Watchmen, Nicole Kassell will direct The 99'ers.
Kassell will work off a script penned by Katie Lovejoy (Love at First Sight, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before 3), Dana Stevens (The Woman King, Fatherhood), and Peter Hedges (Ben Is Back).
Helmed by Liza Chasin from 3Dot Productions, The 99'ers boasts a production team that includes Hayley Stool, Ross Greenburg, Marla Messing, Jill Mazursky, and Krista Smith.
While no timeline for production or distribution are available, Netflix will likely aim to use the film to bolster its coverage of the the upcoming World Cups in light of the streamer recently snagging the exclusive US broadcast rights to both the 2027 and 2031 tournaments.
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is staying busy, announcing yet another high-profile partnership as she gears up to become the first-ever professional athlete to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show next week.
The WNBA star will take to the lingerie company's catwalk in New York on Tuesday, October 15th.
"Stepping into a dream: From Angel to a Victoria Secret ANGEL," Reese posted to Instagram on Thursday. "I'm finally getting my wings — I'll be walking the Victoria's Secret 2025 runway show for the first time, and it feels like destiny. Wings on, heels ready."
Hitting the runway is just the latest entry on Reese's growing resume, with the 23-year-old most recently stepping in as the new face of Juicy Couture and launching a signature shoe with Reebok while becoming the cover star of the WNBA edition of NBA 2K26.
Even more, she'll soon make her feature film debut, playing herself in a cameo in the upcoming political thriller A House of Dynamite, which drops on Netflix on October 24th.
But first, Reese will make Victoria's Secret Fashion Show history.
"Angel Reese, welcome to the runway," Victoria's Secret wrote in a promotional post on Thursday. "The first professional athlete angel... major is an understatement."
How to watch Angel Reese in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
The 2025 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will air live on at 7 PM ET on Tuesday, October 15th on Prime.
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese is upping her partnership game once again, with US fashion brand Juicy Couture tapping the two-time WNBA All-Star as its global ambassador and creative collaborator earlier this week.
The deal sees the 23-year-old become the new face of the company's fragrance, Viva La Juicy, while also co-designing a limited-edition "Angel Couture" apparel line that includes the brand's signature velour track suits as well as T-shirts and other pieces.
"I grew up loving the brand, so representing Viva La Juicy and co-designing my own collection has been incredible," Reese said in Monday's statement. "Juicy Couture has always been about confidence and having fun with fashion. Now with Angel Couture, I wanted to bring that same energy forward with pieces that are fearless, fun, and make you feel unstoppable."
With her second WNBA season in the books, Reese has continued to be active off the court, launching her own signature sneaker with Reebok last month while also recently making her feature film debut, playing herself in a cameo in Netflix's upcoming political thriller A House of Dynamite.
How to buy the Angel Reese x Juicy Couture collection
The limited edition Angel Couture collection is currently available for purchase at juicycouture.com.
The legendary 1999 World Cup-winning USWNT is heading to Hollywood, with Netflix announcing Wednesday that the streamer is in development on The 99'ers, a feature film based on Jeré Longman’s book The Girls of Summer: The US Women's Soccer Team and How It Changed the World.
Like Longman's book, the film will chronicle the USWNT's journey to winning the 1999 World Cup before a then-US record crowd at the Rose Bowl — as well as the ongoing impact that victory has on women's sports worldwide.
Helmed by Liza Chasin from 3dot Productions as well as a production team that includes actor Ryan Reynolds, who co-owns third-tier UK men's soccer club Wrexham AFC, the film will be directed by Nicole Kassell.
Kassell, who's resume includes The Leftovers and The Americans, earned both an Emmy and Director's Guild Award for her work on the HBO series Watchmen.
Screenwriters Katie Lovejoy and Dana Stevens, who wrote Netflix's Love at First Sight and The Woman King, respectively, will pen The 99'ers script.
Netflix boosts women's soccer content in lead-up to World Cups
This is far from Netflix's first foray into women's sports, with the streamer boasting documentaries on tennis star Naomi Osaka and gymnastics legend Simone Biles, among others — and a new series on F1 Academy women drivers dropping later this month.
Even more, the content giant is all-in on women's soccer. After chronicling the 2023 World Cup journey of the USWNT in a four-part docuseries, Netflix closed 2024 by snagging the exclusive US broadcast rights to the 2027 and 2031 Women's World Cups.
While Netflix acquired the rights to Longman's book in 2020, the timing of The 99'ers development is likely an effort to bolster the broadcaster's women's soccer content in the lead-up to the upcoming World Cups.