After a public battle with Disney and a nearly 17-year-long hiatus from fighting, Gina Carano is returning to mixed martial arts with a fight that will stream on Netflix.
Carano, 43, will compete against UFC legend Ronda Rousey, 39, who is also making a comeback to MMA after losing her last fight in 2016. The two will compete at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, Netflix announced on Tuesday
“These are more than just athletes—they are generational stars—and having them headline our MMA debut at the Intuit Dome is a defining moment for us," Gabe Spitzer, Netflix vice president of sports, said in a statement issued by Netflix.
Carano said participating in the fight is “an honor.”
“Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for, and it’s been her dream to make this fight happen between us,” Carano said.
“I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win, and I anticipate it will not come easy, which I welcome,” she continued. “This is as much for Ronda and I as it is for the fans and mixed martial arts community. What a time to be alive.”
After her last fight, which took place in August 2009, Carano went on to star in several major productions, including Fast & Furious 6 and Deadpool.
But it was her role in Disney+’s series The Mandalorian that placed her back in the spotlight.
Carano was fired by Disney in 2021 after the actress shared a TikTok that compared America’s polarized political climate to Nazi Germany. Her post was deemed antisemitic and quickly slammed by Mandalorian fans. In the wake of the backlash, Lucasfilm, the production company behind The Mandalorian, called her posts “abhorrent and unacceptable” and announced she was no longer employed by the studio. Carano was also let go by her talent agency, UTA.
Her online controversies weren’t limited to a single incident. Other social media posts by Carano were identified, leading to Carano being accused of transphobia and of mocking COVID-19 mask mandates. The actress has also publicly supported President Donald Trump, questioning his 2020 loss, and urging voters to back Trump and JD Vance in 2024.
After she was fired by Disney, Carano claimed she had been discriminated against and filed a lawsuit against the company two years later with financial backing from right-wing billionaire Elon Musk.
“I was targeted, discriminated against, shamed, and fired from one of the most powerful entertainment companies in the world,” Carano said at a Turning Point event in Las Vegas in October 2024. In her speech, she also voiced her support for Trump and said she would “make an example” out of Disney.
Carano and Disney came to an agreement in August 2025. At the time, a Lucasfilm spokesperson said, “With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future.”
“We have reached an agreement with Gina Carano to resolve the issues in her pending lawsuit against the companies,” it added. “Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect.”
Carano has not worked in Hollywood since her exit from The Mandalorian, but has appeared in right-wing media projects like Breitbart’s My Son Hunter in 2022.
The fight between Carano and Rousey will take place on May 16 and will be Netflix’s first-ever live MMA broadcast.
