Ex-UFC Champ Ronda Rousey Reveals UFC CEO Dana White's Side of Gina Carano Fight

Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey returns to MMA May 16 vs. women's MMA pioneer-turned-Hollywood actress Gina Carano May 16th. For the first time in over a decade, however, Rousey won't be competing under the UFC banner.

Rousey appeared on SportsCenter this week to discuss her fight. vs. Carano, which headlines Most Valuable Promotion's first MMA event and airs exclusively to all Netflix subscribers at no extra cost.

Rousey revealed a great deal of fresh information in the lead-up to the fight, including that it had been tossed around for "over a year" and was even on the radar of UFC CEO Dana White for a short period.

White signed Rousey and named her the inaugural UFC women's champion to kickstart the bantamweight division beginning in Feb. 2013 with her fight against Liz Carmouche at UFC 157. It was one of six title defenses through Aug. 2015 before losing her belt to Holly Holm in November of that year. She then retired following a KO/TKO loss to Amanda Nunes 13 months later.

Rousey said she had remained in touch with White as the years went by, but never signaled a return fight as a possibility.

Dana White Had Small, Yet Non-Ideal Hand With Ronda Rousey's Comeback

Rousey and White smile at the camera — May 5, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; UFC president Dana White (right) poses with Strikeforce MMA female champion Ronda Rousey during a bout between Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck during UFC on Fox 3 at the Izod Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

At least, when it comes to a return to the UFC's Octagon.

Upon conversations amidst getting negotiations for the Carano fight finalized, Rousey said she asked White if he'd be interested in booking the fight and making her near-decade return to the promotion she helped establish the women's side for a reality.

“I reached out to Dana and asked him if he would be interested in it,” Rousey said. “It didn’t exactly work out with the UFC, but it led us here today.”

The reasons why the fight didn't work out on the UFC's end are entirely speculative, but White has repeatedly said in the past that he is not interested in "gimmick fights."

Will Rousey vs. Carano Be Officially Sanctioned?

Ronda Rousey getting interviewed by FX. — Sep 9, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UFC Women's Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and UFC president Dana White are interviewed as they arrive on the Red Carpet at Lure Nightclub for the premier of The Ultimate Fighter women in the newly formed women in the strawweight class. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Nonetheless, the hexagon-based 145-pound fight will move forward, as long as Rousey and Carano follow the proper protocols set by the California State Athletic Commission in the lead-up to the fight. In an ESPN piece, CSAC's Andy Foster gave his two cents on the sanctioning process for the fight.

"We're going to put her through neurological and concussion battery testing and make sure she's OK," Foster said of Rousey. "We're going to have our doctors take a look. The fighters are going to have to do a lot of medicals, both of 'em."

The fight will take place from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, CA. It's only 34.9 miles from where Rousey introduced women's MMA to the mainstream, which could potentially make Netflix's first live MMA event truly historic.

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