After nearly two decades away from the cage, Gina Carano is making a comeback for the ages—and she's bringing an incredible personal transformation with her. This Saturday, Carano faces former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in the main event of the first-ever MVP MMA card, streaming live on Netflix.
But what's truly remarkable isn't just the fight itself—it's the journey Carano took to get here. On Friday, she stepped on the scale at 141.4 pounds, comfortably under the featherweight limit. What she revealed next stunned fans: she lost 100 pounds over the past 18 months to prepare for this moment.
In an emotional social media post, Carano opened up about her transformation. "Since September 2024 to today, May 15, 2026, I have lost 100 pounds. It hurts to say that and share, but I am going to share it because I worked so damn hard every week for over a year and a half," she wrote. "It did not happen overnight."
Carano admitted that without the monumental goal of fighting Rousey, she might never have achieved this. She revealed she was pre-diabetic and struggled with basic mobility just 18 months ago. "I had trouble simply walking in September 2024 and have been on the path to recovery to turn myself back into an athlete since then," she shared. "It was hard, so damn hard... ups, downs, plateaus, things I learned late I wish I learned earlier, trial by error—but I did it."
This fight marks Carano's first appearance since August 2009, when she was stopped by Cris Cyborg. For Rousey, it's her first bout in nearly a decade. The stakes couldn't be higher for two legends of the sport making long-awaited returns.
Carano took a moment to thank her opponent, saying, "Thank you to Ronda, who waited patiently while I lost this weight and giving me something to aim for." She also credited her husband and family for their unwavering support throughout her grueling transformation.
"There is still so much I need to learn and want to do in the health space," Carano added. "But for today, I pray this encourages you wherever you are in your health journey. Believe there is hope. Never give up."
With her signature fire still burning, she signed off with a fighter's spirit: "OK... enough emo, I've got a fight tomorrow. We've worked so hard to get here. Tune in."