What could have been one of the biggest fights in women's MMA history almost happened—but fell apart at the last minute. Ronda Rousey recently opened up about how her long-awaited showdown with Gina Carano was originally planned as a UFC title fight, before negotiations went south.
Rousey and Carano finally shared the screen in a new film, but talk of an Octagon comeback never materialized. The former bantamweight champion didn't hold back in expressing her frustration with how things are handled behind the scenes at the UFC.
Interestingly, Rousey's potential fight with Carano wasn't even considered the biggest draw of the night. Fans were more hyped for Claudia Gadelha vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk 2 and Phil Davis vs. Ilir Latifi. But that didn't stop UFC President Dana White from exploring ways to add more stakes to the matchup.
"Ronda just went back to Netflix," White explained. "She wasn't interested in coming back now. She missed her window." Still, White had plans to make the fight even bigger if it happened inside the Octagon.
According to Rousey, once it became clear she wouldn't return to the UFC, White encouraged her to build a career outside the promotion. But before that decision was final, there were serious discussions about her and Carano competing for the women's featherweight title.
Speaking ahead of the potential fight, 'Rowdy' revealed that the UFC initially wanted to use the bout to "retire the belt" permanently—especially after Amanda Nunes vacated the title in 2023. Rousey shared these details on The Ariel Helwani Show, explaining how the fight was meant to close the chapter on the division.
The decision also fueled Rousey's ongoing criticism of UFC executive Hunter Campbell. She hasn't shied away from calling him out in interviews, particularly for what she sees as his role in dismantling women's divisions within the promotion.
Rousey argued that Campbell showed "disdain" toward featherweights and questioned his respect for athletes who don't fit what she called "the absolute mean." She made it clear that weight shouldn't determine an athlete's value or potential contribution to the sport.
"Fighters above 145 pounds still have plenty to offer," she said, pointing out that the division felt like a placeholder from the start—created mainly to accommodate Cris Cyborg before eventually losing momentum.
For fans of women's MMA, this revelation adds another layer to the "what if" story of Rousey vs. Carano. And for those following Rousey's career beyond the Octagon, it's another chapter in her ongoing critique of how the UFC treats its athletes.