Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano join forces with Jake Paul for shocking Netflix MMA superfight

Rousey, 39, is one of the biggest draws and most influential athletes in MMA history. An Olympic medalist in judo who parlayed her gifts into a lightning-in-the-bottle run as a prizefighter, she famously played an integral role in UFC CEO Dana White opening the doors for women to compete in the UFC. After capturing the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title in 2012, Rousey (12-2) then marched her belt into the UFC and defended it six consecutive times from 2013-15, becoming one of the most famous athletes on the planet in the process.

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Rousey’s widely-publicized reign ended with back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, after which she retired from MMA and transitioned into professional wrestling with the WWE.

Rousey became the first women to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018.

Carano, 43, was the biggest star in women’s MMA history prior to Rousey’s arrival. In 2007, her and Julie Kedzie competed in the first-ever women’s fight televised on Showtime. Two years later, Carano (7-1) made history again when her and Cris Cyborg became the first women to headline a major MMA event, with Carano losing via first-round TKO in their lightweight championship bout.

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Carano retired from MMA following her lone career defeat and transitioned into acting, securing roles in numerous film franchises such as “Fast & Furious,” Marvel and “Star Wars,” among others.

Rousey and Carano have been linked together as a veritable dream matchup since the beginning of Rousey’s UFC championship reign. The UFC made numerous high-profile attempts to woo Carano back to MMA for the blockbuster bout, most notably in 2014, however those attempts proved to be in vain.