After years of controversy and public scrutiny, Gina Carano is stepping back into the spotlight on her own terms. The former star of The Mandalorian, whose firing by Disney sparked national debate over free speech in Hollywood, will return to her fighting roots this spring for a high-profile mixed martial arts bout that’s already generating massive attention.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Carano will face off against fellow combat sports legend Ronda Rousey in a streamed MMA fight airing live on Netflix on Saturday, May 18. The featherweight matchup, set to take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, marks Carano’s first time in the cage in 17 years. The event is being produced in partnership with Most Valuable Promotions, the fighter-centered promotion company owned by Jake Paul.
Rousey, who has long hinted at wanting this showdown, released a statement celebrating the announcement: “Been waiting so long to announce this: Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest super fight in women’s combat sport history! And we’re partnering with the fighter-first promotion MVP as well as the biggest and baddest streamer on the planet Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present, and future. More to come… much more!”
Carano looks ready to deliver. Photos and video clips circulating online show the former MMA star in top form, training intensely and showing the same strength and poise that made her one of the sport’s early trailblazers. Many fans believe this fight represents more than just a comeback, it’s a personal statement after years of Hollywood’s cold shoulder.
Carano first rose to fame as one of the pioneers of women’s MMA. Her explosive style and charisma helped bring mainstream attention to female fighters long before the UFC crowned its first women’s champion. But her fame truly skyrocketed when she pivoted to acting, landing roles in major studio films like Fast & Furious 6 and Deadpool, before earning a celebrated spot as Cara Dune in The Mandalorian.
That success came to a halt when Disney cut ties with her in 2021 following social media posts that critics labeled controversial. Supporters, however, saw her firing as another example of Hollywood’s double standard and intolerance for dissenting views. Carano later partnered with The Daily Wire for the western thriller Terror on the Prairie and appeared in the political drama My Son Hunter, distributed by Breitbart News.
Carano also settled her lawsuit against Disney, which ended with the studio saying it would explore opportunities to work with her again in the future. For her fans, though, the upcoming Netflix fight is the real payoff a chance for a woman once blacklisted by Hollywood elites to take control of the narrative and remind the world who she is. Disney could even do a lot to “right the ship” by having Carano appear in a cameo in the upcoming Mandalorian & Grogu movie, also coming this May, but that’s very unlikely.
Gina Carano’s return to the ring promises to be more than a competition. It’s a comeback story about perseverance, principle, and redemption, told in the most personal way possible; with her raw strength.
***
English (US) · 