Fact check: Was Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano supposed to be a UFC superfight before Jake Paul's MVP backed Netflix bout?

Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey has opened up about a major fight that almost happened inside the UFC. Rousey recently revealed that UFC president Dana White wanted her to face Gina Carano for the women’s featherweight title before the division was eventually removed from the promotion. According to Rousey, the UFC hoped the matchup would serve as a historic final chapter for the 145-pound division.

Rousey made the comments while promoting her return fight scheduled for May 16. During recent interviews, she has also criticized the UFC and some of its leadership decisions. The former bantamweight champion explained that talks about the featherweight division played a major role in shaping her current opinion about the company. She especially pointed toward UFC executive Hunter Campbell and his handling of the division during discussions about its future.

Ronda Rousey shares details about UFC’s original plan

Speaking during a recent appearance on a sports show, Ronda Rousey explained that Dana White encouraged her to continue competing and building her profile outside the UFC once it became clear that a return to the Octagon was unlikely at that time. She said the UFC later considered bringing her back for a major showdown against Gina Carano with the women’s featherweight title on the line.


Rousey claimed the promotion viewed the fight as the perfect opportunity to officially close the division. The women’s featherweight title became inactive after former champion Amanda Nunes vacated the belt in 2023. Since then, the UFC has not shown any interest in rebuilding the weight class.

The former UFC star also criticized comments reportedly made by Hunter Campbell regarding the future of the division. Rousey suggested that the tone used during those conversations felt disrespectful toward female fighters competing at 145 pounds. She argued that body size should never determine how valuable or entertaining an athlete can be inside the cage.

For several years, the women’s featherweight division struggled because of limited depth. Many fans believed the category mainly existed so the UFC could sign former champion Cris Cyborg. Cyborg later lost the title to Amanda Nunes after defending it twice.

Although the planned fight between Rousey and Carano never became reality in UFC, the idea interested many MMA fans. The duo will now fight it out in Jake Paul’s MVP backed Netflix bout on May 16.




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