After more than 10 years outside of the octagon, Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will be making their MMA returns on Saturday night at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
Rousey (12-2) was one of the UFC’s biggest names in her prime. Prior to her official retirement in 2018, she became the first woman signed to the UFC after a stint in defunct MMA promotion Strikeforce as its last women’s bantamweight champion. She joined the UFC in 2013 and dominated her way to become the inaugural UFC women’s bantamweight champion, and still holds the UFC record for successfully defending the title six consecutive times.
In the other corner, Carano (7-1) is also recognized at the forefront of women’s MMA history. She also made her MMA start in Strikeforce before moving into the UFC. She faced Cris Cyborg for the first Strikeforce women’s 145-pound title in 2009 and lost by TKO in her final MMA fight. Carano has not fought since that 2009 fight, but moved to a career on the big screen. She has starred in “The Mandalorian,” “Daredevil,” and “Fast and Furious 6.”
The prelims will stream live on Tudum by Netflix and on Most Valuable Promotions’ official YouTube channel, giving fans multiple viewing options before the blockbuster main event begins later in the evening.
Here’s a look at the Rousey vs. Carano fight this weekend with a special emphasis on the rules.
MORE: What did Ronda Rousey say about Kayla Harrison?
Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight rules
- 5 rounds
- 5 minutes per round
- 4-ounce gloves
Rousey and Carano’s clash will span up to five five-minute rounds. The fight will be contested at featherweight, which carries a weight limit of 145 pounds. The fight will be professionally sanctioned under the Unified Rules of MMA and contested over five 5-minute rounds using 4-ounce gloves, inside a hexagon cage.
Under the rules, six fight styles will be allowed for Rousey and Carano to partake in:
- Boxing
- Wrestling
- Jiu-Jitsu
- Judo
- Karate
- Kickboxing
On Saturday, fighters will be able to strike, grapple, clinch, and attempt submissions both standing and on the ground. This ruleset creates a fascinating matchup because both athletes bring different strengths into the cage. Rousey built her legendary MMA career around elite judo throws and armbar submissions, while Carano made a name for herself via striking and aggressive stand-up game.
While Saturday’s fight will be MMA, the UFC will not be carrying the fight. Rousey revealed she spoke with UFC President and CEO Dana White, but could not reach an agreement.
“I reached out to Dana and asked him if he would be interested in it, and it didn’t exactly work out with the UFC, but it led us here to today,” she said.
“I feel like this is the absolute peak for me and this is my dream fight..
This is the way that I always wanted to end it..
It feels like there’s a huge opportunity for me to be in that promoter role” ~ @RondaRousey #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/3wJWQBWUFo
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 13, 2026
How does scoring work for Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano?
The victor of Alvarez and Crawford’s bout will be determined by three judges in the event it doesn’t first end in a knockout.
The fight follows MMA’s typical 10-Point Must System. Judges will award the winner of each round 10 points, with each round being scored 10-10 (a split), 10-9, or 10-8 (in the event of a knockdown). Points might also be deducted by the referee if a fighter commits a foul.
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