'It's saved my life' - why Rousey fight means everything to Carano

Gina Carano is heartfelt when she describes how important her upcoming fight against Ronda Rousey is to her.

"It has changed my life but also saved my life," Carano tells BBC Sport.

On Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, Carano will fight for the first time in nearly 17 years when she faces fellow American Rousey in the first MMA event to be shown live on Netflix.

The contest is tipped to change the landscape of MMA, while Rousey says the bout will set a new purse record for female fighters.

There's much to be proud of for Carano, but only five years ago she was experiencing some of the most difficult moments of her life.

During her time away from MMA, Carano turned to acting, before securing a key role playing Cara Dune in the Star Wars franchise spin-off The Mandalorian.

In 2021 she was dropped from the cast following comments she made comparing being a Republican in the US to being a Jew during the Holocaust.

Carano sued for wrongful termination and sexual discrimination, while Lucasfilm condemned her comments for "denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities".

Carano settled her lawsuit against Disney and Lucasfilm in 2025, but describes herself as being in a "very hurting place" in the years prior where she "lost herself".

"I remember being under so much physical stress that my anxiety hurt so bad that my skin hurt," said Carano.

"I was having panic attacks and it was like the whole world was caving down. That was rough, it was not the best.

"I worked two decades to get the career I had and everything was taken from me overnight."

Seeing that Carano was in a bad place, Rousey pitched the idea of a fight between the pair to the UFC in 2024 believing it would be beneficial to them both.

After negotiations stalled, Rousey then contacted Carano directly before the bout eventually came to fruition under Most Valuable Promotions (MVP).

Carano says she lost 100lb (7st 2lb) since September 2024 training for the contest, and weighed in at 141.4lb (10st 1.4lb) on Friday.

"This fight focused me and gave me purpose to aim for something, not just physically, but it consumed me," added Carano.

"It was incredible to be able to aim all my energy towards something.

"My health is so much better and I feel like myself, I feel comfortable in my skin, I feel alive and I'm grateful every day."

While much of the media attention in the build-up has been on Rousey, whose mastery of promotion and drive for change in the MMA landscape makes for captivating headlines, Carano is the perfect dance partner.

Like Rousey, she is a trailblazer when it comes to MMA. In fact, there is an argument Carano opened the door for Rousey in 2009 to storm through and achieve what she did.

In 2009, Carano fought Cris Cyborg for the inaugural Strikeforce featherweight title in a bout which represented the first time two women had headlined an event in a major MMA promotion.

Although Carano lost and has not fought since, she played a major role in showing women like Rousey they belonged at the top level of MMA.

Rousey acknowledges this, admitting Carano "inspired her when she was sitting on the couch one day".

The respect Rousey has for Carano has also been visible throughout fight week, with the former UFC champion heaping praise on her opponent.

After Friday's official weigh-ins, Rousey waited for Carano to get off the scales and greeted her with a hug after she made weight for their featherweight bout.

"I've never been able to give back to her," said Rousey.

"If she gets the greatest comeback story of all time I'd be happy to be part of it."

A fight between the pair was touted around 2014 when Rousey was in her prime in the UFC and one of the biggest sports stars in the world, but it never came to fruition.

Some have argued that with Rousey being 39 and Carano 44 the contest will not be as competitive as it once could have been, but the pair have brushed criticism aside.

For Carano, just being able to fight again on the biggest stage is a remarkable personal victory.

"You see so many fighters say they are going to come back but people underestimate the strength and commitment it takes to come back," said Carano.

"And not just come back but to face someone incredibly legendary like Ronda. We're making a dream come true for both of us."

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