MVP MMA: Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano Preview & Prediction
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Two of MMA's most renowned female pioneers throw down in the main event of MVP MMA's inaugural card, with Ronda Rousey taking on Gina Carano at 145 pounds.
Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano facts
What time are Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano expected to walk out?
Where is MVP MMA: Rousey vs Carano? Intuit Dome, Inglewood, USA
Where can I get tickets for MVP MMA: Rousey vs Carano? Click here for the latest ticket information for MVP MMA: Rousey vs Carano
How to watch MVP MMA: Rousey vs Carano on? UK – Netflix / USA – Netflix
MVP MMA: Rousey vs Carano main card
Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano (Featherweight)
Francis Ngannou vs Philipe Lins (Heavyweight)
Nate Diaz vs Mike Perry (Welterweight)
MVP MMA: Rousey vs Carano prelims
Salahdine Parnasse vs Kenneth Cross (Lightweight)
Junior dos Santos vs Robelis Despaigne (Heavyweight)
Jason Jackson vs Jeff Creighton (Welterweight)
Muhammad Mokaev vs Adriano Moraes (Flyweight)
Namo Fazil vs Jake Babian (Welterweight)
David Mgoyan vs Albert Morales (Featherweight)
Aline Pereira vs Jade Masson-Wong (Catchweight – 130 lbs)
Chris Avila vs Brandon Jenkins (Catchweight – 165 lbs)
Ronda Rousey: Can "Rowdy" rediscover her form of old after almost a decade out of the cage?
Widely touted as one of the most significant figures the sport of MMA has ever witnessed, Ronda Rousey (12-2) blazed the trail for women in the UFC back in the day, becoming one of the biggest superstars in a company that once vowed that female fighters would never fight under its banner. A bronze medal winning Olympic judoka renowned for her lethal armbars, the trash-talking "Rowdy" ruled over her weight class with an iron fist, beginning life in the promotion at 6-0 with just a single fight leaving the opening stanza. However, devastating back-to-back KOs against Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes would duly send Rousey to WWE; she hasn't fought under MMA rules in almost a decade.
Gina Carano: What does "Conviction" have left in the tank after a near twenty year hiatus from the sport?
Another heralded pioneer of women in the cage, George W. Bush was still in the White House the last time that Gina Carano (7-1) won a professional MMA fight. Indeed, "Conviction" hasn't been seen since coughing up her undefeated record to Cris Cyborg via first round TKO in Strikeforce, swapping her MMA career to pursue her acting career since 2009. Moving to MMA after beginning her martial arts career in Muay Thai, Carano was known as a powerful striker with solid grappling. She's often touted as one of the most impressive athletes in WMMA history, leveraging her size, power, and athleticism to score four finishes in seven professional wins.
Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano prediction
Billed as the biggest fight in WMMA history, the outcome of this one is probably identical to what would have happened had these two fought at the time of their respective primes. Rousey is going to take Carano down in the early goings and submit her with ease, likely using her trademark arm bar to do so.
Even if the forty four year old Carano was close to Rousey's level on the mat - spoiler alert, she's not - she hasn't fought in MMA in almost TWENTY years. She was a serviceable striker in her heyday, but even then, she's nowhere near as well-versed as the fighters who overwhelmed and destroyed Rousey before she could even begin to implement her grappling.
The X-factor here is the mental scars Rousey carries from her last two fights under the UFC banner. "Rowdy" didn't just lose her undefeated record; she literally disappeared from the public eye and suffered with PTSD in the aftermath of those defeats. If Carano has even an inkling of success during the early goings, those doubts may start to creep in once again.
With that being said, Rousey would never have taken this fight if she wasn't absolutely positive of winning. Given the age and ring rust of the two women, this could conceivably descend into an absolutely farcical fight between two combatants long past their best, but I still like Rousey's grappling pedigree to ultimately win through.
Be it by first round submission or borderline comical decision, the pick is "Rowdy" in her long awaited return.
Prediction: Ronda Rousey to win by first round submission
