Fighting for a bigger cause - the Rousey show returns

Breaking news from the world of sport: Fighting for a bigger cause - the Rousey show returnsImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Ronda Rousey has won 12 of her 14 professional fightsByPaul BattisonBBC Sport JournalistPublished21 minutes agoRonda Rousey remembers vividly the moment she first believed she could achieve anything that she wanted to. In 1984, her mother, AnnMaria De Mars, became the first American to win a gold medal at the World Judo Championships. De Mars lit a fire inside Rousey which hasn't stopped burning.

From winning Olympic judo bronze for America in 2008 to being the first woman to sign for the UFC, Rousey has built a career on doing the seemingly impossible. While UFC president Dana White once said no woman would ever fight in the promotion, Rousey not only did it but became one of the company's biggest and best paid stars. Then there was a spell in WWE where she again fought for equality for women, to becoming an actress, best-selling author and a mother.

Match Details

Now Rousey's fire is ablaze with a new challenge. On Saturday, the 39-year-old is set to end a 10-year retirement from MMA when she faces fellow American Gina Carano in a featherweight bout at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Not only does Rousey want to "rewrite her ending" in the sport, she wants to challenge the UFC, campaign for better fighter pay and dip her toes into promoting.

Rousey told Sport she has one simple message for White and the other UFC chiefs: "Pay the fighters better. I wouldn't be here if you paid fighters better. "There has never been a mainstay, major female promoter in MMA or boxing.

Like her previous endeavours, Rousey is fighting for a bigger cause. "It's not just about men or women now. It's about giving fighters their power back and reminding people it's about the fighters," said Rousey.

Reactions and Expectations

"It's not a brand, it's about the fighters. I want them to be able to reap the rewards of their labour. "Carano bout to 'smash' women's fight pay record - Rousey Published6 hours ago'Ronda texts me 20-30 times every other day'The event is being promoted by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and will be broadcast live on Netflix.

It also features former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou taking on Philipe Lins and fan favourite Nate Diaz facing Mike Perry. Nakisa Bidarian, who co-founded MVP alongside Paul, compares the event with Paul's fight with Mike Tyson in 2024, which was the first boxing contest broadcast live on Netflix and laid the foundations for future events on the platform. Not only is Rousey headlining the card, she has played a key role in shaping it, playing the role of promoter and matchmaker behind the scenes.

This isn't just a Ronda Rousey fight, it is the Ronda Rousey show. "Her quote was, 'I can't be your Conor , but I can be your Dana '," said Bidarian. "She has demonstrated an ability to own the promotion, to deliver unbelievable, engaging content, and most importantly, she loves the game.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.