The upcoming fight between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano is the dream match many MMA fans never thought would become reality. However, not everyone is pleased. In a post on X, rival fighter Cris Cyborg called out Rousey over comments she made last year about retiring. For fans, the Carano bout represents a long-awaited spectacle, but for critics, it revives the one fight that never happened.
🤡 all those years of ducking me at 145 when we were both in our prime?!
I thought you had CTE or something? https://t.co/QPKRFa9ClR pic.twitter.com/Ni8TEQLyYf
— CrisCy₿org.Com (@criscyborg) February 17, 2026
Though she didn’t tag Rousey’s X account, Cyborg’s post was direct and confrontational. She opened with a clown emoji and wrote, “All those years of ducking me at 145 when we were both in our prime?!” She added, “I thought you had CTE or something?” Attached was a screenshot of a June 19, 2025 article quoting Rousey, who said, “I would get a jab and I would basically go blind.”
The post resurrects one of MMA’s longest-running feuds.
Cyborg Reignites Long-Running Rivalry
Cyborg rose to prominence in a featherweight title bout against Gina Carano in 2009, which she won in the first round. From there, she won seven more MMA fights before entering the UFC in 2016 and eventually captured the featherweight title. Many fans hoped to see a fight between her and Hall of Famer Rousey. However, the two women fought in different divisions and neither was willing to budge.
Ronda Rousey in the UFC – Youtube, UFC
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That didn’t stop Rousey and Cyborg from trading barbs. In 2015, Rousey referenced Cyborg being stripped of a title after testing positive for steroids. She added that the decision to fight rested entirely with Cyborg. “She’s the fraud that got defamed,” Rousey said in an interview. She then added in case Cyborg was reading, “If you can make 145 pumped full of steroids, you can get off it and drop [to 135].”
“If she doesn’t step up, I can move on and do other things with my life,” Rousey concluded. “She’s the one who’s going to fall into obscurity without me.”
Speaking in November 2025 about fighters she was never able to face—including a bout with Rousey—Cyborg said, “I believe they never had the intention to make the fights, just to make some noise and promote their names.”
A Comeback Fight Years in the Making
The May 16th matchup between Rousey and Carano will likely be a major event on Netflix. The event marks Rousey’s return to mixed martial arts after nearly a decade away, while Carano hasn’t competed since her loss to Cyborg in 2009. Although their careers overlapped, this will be the first time that Rousey and Carano have faced off. More than just a fight, it’s a moment for one of the two icons of MMA to cement her legacy.
Ronda Rousey in 2014 fight – UFC, YouTube
“Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for and it has been her dream to make this fight happen between us,” Carano said. “She thanked me for opening up doors for her in her career and was respectful in asking for this fight to happen. This is an honor. I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win and I anticipate it will not come easy, which I welcome. This is as much for Ronda and me as it is for the fans and mixed martial arts community. What a time to be alive.”
Gina Carano walks to the ring – YouTube, Jehu Media
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By weighing in publicly, Cris Cyborg has shifted the narrative around the fight. If Rousey wins against Carano, there will be another what-if scenario casting a shadow over her victory. If she loses, the long-awaited contest between her and Cyborg could offer a new opportunity for redemption—or an even more devastating loss.
What do you think of Cris Cyborg’s comments? Do you think she will fight Rousey? Let us know in the comments!
if your name is Cyborg, you’re a bit of a clown.
You stole it! I was gonna say let the cyborg beat the shit out of the mongoloid rousey and offer Carano another acting gig.
Cyborg. Woman. Que?
I had to look up if Cris Cyborg was a Man, and………….it possibly is.
Cyborg is cybernetic organism right? What would hermaphroditic organism be? Transvestital organism?
Those descriptors would be way more apt.
Mom, if dad is Keith,… why do they call you cyborg?
Uh… complaining is just going to bring more interest in the fight, and not in reviving Ms. Cyborg’s career. Plus, I bet Cyborg isn’t even her real name!
I am glad to see Gina is returning to fighting shape. She looked like she was still conditioning in Haywire and when dating Cavil but she had let herself go in the years between Deadpool and Mando, and especially leading up to that dumb Daily Wire movie.