Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano Betting Preview: Predictions, Odds, & Best Bets

Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano Betting Preview: Predictions, Odds, & Best Bets

We have Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano odds for a fight that probably should have taken place more than a decade ago. At the peak of their careers, Rousey and Carano were two of the most feared women’s MMA fighters on the planet.

While it took far too long to get them in the same ring, Netflix has scheduled a fight on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA. Let’s break down the latest odds and analyze both fighters before I share my best Rousey vs. Carano betting predictions.


Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano Betting Odds

Here are the latest Carano vs. Rousey odds, courtesy of BetUS:

FIGHTER ODDS
Ronda Rousey -500
Gina Carano +300

Rousey (-500) is a heavy favorite over Carano at top MMA betting sites, giving her an implied win probability of 83.3% for their five-round bout.

The 39-year-old hasn’t fought since her brutal loss to Amanda Nunes in 2016, but oddsmakers still expect her to control this matchup. Carano, meanwhile, is returning to competition for the first time in 17 years.

As of now, moneyline odds are the only market available for Rousey vs. Carano. Check back closer to fight night for updated prices and additional betting options for the Inglewood showdown.

You can find updated Rousey vs. Carano betting odds at BetUS by navigating to Sportsbook >  Martial Arts > Ronda Rousey Special.

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Tale of the Tape

Attribute Ronda Rousey Gina Carano
Nickname “Rowdy” “Conviction”
Age (at fight) 39 44
Professional MMA Record 12-2-0 7-1-0
Wins by Submission 9 1
Wins by KO/TKO 3 3
Height 5′6″ (168 cm) 5′8″ (173 cm)
Reach ~66.0″ (168 cm) ~66.5″ (169 cm)
Last MMA Fight 2016 (UFC) 2009 (Strikeforce)
Weight for Fight 145 lbs (Featherweight) 145 lbs (Featherweight)
Fighting Style Judo / Grappling specialist Striking / Muay Thai background
Gym / Team Hayastan MMA Syndicate MMA

Carano holds a small physical edge over Rousey, with a couple of extra inches in height and about a half‑inch in reach. Those advantages, though, are unlikely to be a major factor.

This matchup is expected to take place at featherweight (145 pounds). In her prime, Carano carried real power at any weight and preferred to keep fights standing, using her striking and pressure to wear opponents down. The issue is that her best form was nearly two decades ago.

Rousey, by contrast, is a grappling specialist. “Rowdy” uses her judo to close distance, secure throws, and transition immediately into submissions, mostly armbars. With nine of her 12 wins coming by submission, she’ll almost certainly try to drag this fight into her world early and exploit that edge on the ground.

Ronda Rousey (-500)

With huge odds to defeat Carano, this isn’t expected to be a major challenge for the former UFC women’s champion. However, what can we realistically expect from her 10 years after the Nunes loss?

Rousey ultimately retired from MMA and pursued a career in the WWE. It wasn’t a good fit for Rousey, who often didn’t look comfortable in promos and didn’t have much motivation to improve. She’s been laying low since exiting professional wrestling in 2023.

Before her consecutive losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, Ronda Rousey opened her career with a 10-fight winning streak. She remains one of the most influential figures in MMA, helping draw mainstream fan interest to female fights and earning recognition as a true pioneer of the sport.

Looking at this matchup, Rousey has clear motivation to finish the fight quickly and prove she’s still a capable competitor. She’ll want to show that this comeback is genuine, not just a novelty or one-off exhibition. That doesn’t necessarily signal a full-time return to the UFC against top contenders, but it could set up a few more high-profile Netflix appearances.

As for tactics, expect Rousey to go to her strengths immediately. Standing with Carano isn’t her best path to victory. Instead, her judo pedigree and superior grappling should be evident from the opening round, creating problems that Carano will likely struggle to counter.

If Rousey makes the error to get into a boxing match instead, then the door opens up for a potential upset. Having said that, Rousey should manage to dictate the pace and get what she wants in the early stages. At -500, though, is she worth a play for your Rousey vs. Carano betting picks?

Gina Carano (+300)

Carano’s strength can be found in her stand-up game and sheer power. Her Muay Thai work is categorized as above average and can use knees and leg kicks to keep her opponents off balance.

That was Carano in her prime, though. She left the sport a long time ago to pursue an acting career. Carano found success on The Mandalorian before being fired in 2021 for controversial remarks regarding the Holocaust on social media.

Carano has been unable to replicate her early MMA success and is now attempting a comeback. The challenge is clear: she’ll be 44 years old at the time of the fight and expecting her to step back into the cage with the same power she once showed may be unrealistic.

On the surface, Carano looks like she’s in good enough shape to face Rousey. But looking the part is different from performing when the bell rings. At this stage, she’s unlikely to have the same quickness on her feet or the ability to consistently execute a sound defensive game plan.

We last saw Carano in 2009, when she appeared clearly overmatched against “Cyborg.” She dropped a loss via TKO, and the trademark power in her strikes already seemed to be waning. She retired afterward with a 7-1-0 professional record.

I respect Carano’s effort to restart her MMA career, but on paper this matchup doesn’t favor her. The question is whether she’s worth a flier at +300. While that’s a sizable price, it still might not be rich enough to draw much betting interest.


Ronday Rousey vs. Gina Carano Predictions and Betting Pick

There are some former opponents Carano might have matched up well with, but Rousey isn’t one of them. Technically, Rousey is far sounder, and Carano’s fight IQ and strategizing were already in question in her last bout back in 2009. There’s little reason to believe those issues would look improved against Rousey.

I don’t expect Rousey to let Carano get comfortable on the feet or find any striking rhythm. Instead, she’ll be hunting for takedowns and her signature armbar as soon as the openings appear.

The key question is whether Carano has the defense to stop that game plan. I don’t think she’ll be able to consistently stuff takedowns or mount meaningful resistance. Carano may know what’s coming, but I still don’t see her successfully executing against a Rousey who is also five years younger.

Rousey could choose to extend the fight into the later rounds to put on a show for Netflix, but she should remain in control throughout and have the tools to finish at any time.

Even though Rousey’s price at -500 doesn’t offer great betting value, the matchup still looks heavily one-sided. Her core grappling strengths from her MMA career haven’t eroded nearly as much as Carano’s power and striking likely have.

Bottom line: Rousey is the clear pick to defeat Carano by submission.

The Bet
Ronda Rousey
-500


Where to Bet on Rousey vs. Carano?

Place your bets on Rousey vs. Carano at a reputable and trusted online bookmaker. We recommended checking out what BetUS has to offer for the fight in May. As a highly respected MMA sportsbook, BetUS will have everything you need.

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About the Author
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Kyle Eve
Editor-in-Chief
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Kyle Eve is Editor-in-Chief of The Sports Geek, providing reliable analysis for millions of readers since joining the team in 2012. After placing his first sports bet on his 18th birthday, Kyle has devoted his entire adult life to becoming the best bettor he can be. He’s covered some of the biggest sporting events in the world, from the Super Bowl and World Series to the NBA Finals and Kentucky Derby. Kyle lives in Windsor, Ontario.
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