Sean Strickland’s ruthless response to Ronda Rousey’s upcoming MMA comeback is going viral after he laid into the much-anticipated fight against Gina Carano.
The matchup, officially set for May 16, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and streaming live on Netflix, marks Rousey’s first MMA bout in nearly a decade and pits her against one of the early pioneers of women’s MMA, Carano.
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Both fighters have not competed professionally in years, with Rousey’s last fight in 2016 and Carano’s in 2009, making this one of the most talked-about returns in combat sports history.
Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images
Sean Strickland unloads on the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight
Strickland’s comments have now gone viral after he weighed in on the sensational Rousey comeback fight. FQJMMA on X shared the video of Strickland’s blunt take.
“Ronda Rousey’s gonna steamroll her. Ronda Rousey is an Olympian that was a multi-time world champion,” Strickland said.
He added: “Gina Carano was pretty at a time when women’s MMA sucked. I mean, it’s still not very good, but when Gina Carano was fighting, it was significantly worse.”
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Strickland’s response drew attention not just for calling Rousey to “steamroll” Carano, but for the sharp tone he used to describe the quality of the competitive eras each fighter came from.
It reflects a raw, unfiltered opinion from one of MMA’s more outspoken figures.
Sean Strickland doubles down with brutal dismissal
He did not stop there, later adding even harsher commentary about the bout.
“Ronda Rousey’s gonna f______ steamroll her, and we’re just gonna watch two middle-aged women going through menopause fight each other.
“I don’t know. I have no interest in that. Who gives a f___?” Strickland stated.
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The remarks have sparked their own reaction across MMA communities online, dividing fans between those who see it as typical trash talk and others who criticise the tone given the historic nature of both fighters’ contributions to women’s MMA.
While Rousey’s legacy includes Olympic judo success and UFC bantamweight domination, Carano is widely credited with helping pioneer the early visibility of women in the sport, a context that makes this comeback fight uniquely compelling regardless of Strickland’s skepticism.
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