MMA’s biggest names deliver predictions for Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano Netflix clash

Netflix’s MMA era commences on Saturday night with a super fight between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

While fans would have no doubt preferred to see the pioneers lock horns at the peak of their powers, it nonetheless remains a spectacle.

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Rousey, 39, became the UFC‘s first female champion in 2013 when MMA’s premier promotion absorbed Strikeforce.

She defended the 135lbs strap a record six times in a sport-transcending run that thrust women’s MMA into the spotlight.

Rousey was eventually dethroned by Holly Holm in 2015, and after failing to regain her belt against Amanda Nunes one year later, she stepped away from the sport, leaving a massive void in her wake.

Although Rousey is undoubtedly the sport’s first global women’s superstar, none of it would have arguably been possible were it not for Carano.

Competing during the 2000s, when opinions on female fighting were very different to how they are today, Carano established herself as the first face of women’s MMA.

Her last outing, a first-round TKO loss to Cris Cyborg in 2009, drew an audience of 856,0000 viewers on Showtime – a remarkable number for the time.

It might not be the elite matchup it would have been 10 years ago, but Rousey vs Carano will undoubtedly be one of the biggest combat sports events of the year.

With that tag comes opinions of which there have been plenty. ,

Several of MMA’s biggest names have delivered their predictions for the mega event.

And here, talkSPORT.com has compiled some of the most notable ones.

Who is picking Ronda Rousey?

Henry Cejudo – Two-weight UFC champion

“It’s hard to count out Ronda Rousey,” Cejudo told The Schmo.

“Ronda is a little younger; she has a few more tools in her game. I’m going to have to go with Ronda Rousey.”

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Brendan Schaub – UFC Veteran

“It’s not a great fight,” said Schaub during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience.

“Ronda should be a -4000 favourite, he’s going to starch her.

“I love Gina, but she hasn’t been active in [17] years.”

Matt Serra – Former UFC welterweight champion

“If it hits the floor, which should be Ronda’s number one game plan, then I feel it should be a submission fairly quickly,” said Serra on his YouTube channel.

“I think Gina is a beast. I’m a fan of Gina, but Ronda is great on the ground, not just good.”

Gable Steveson – Olympic gold medallist wrestler and MMA prospect

“Ronda Rousey,” Steveson told The Schmo. I’m going to say submission round two or three.

“I think Gina is going to put up a good fight in the first round.”

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Who is picking Gina Carano?

Matt Brown – UFC veteran

“I think it’s going to be an ugly fight for the most part,” Brown told MMA Fighting.

“Here’s why I’m going to go with Gina Carano — I think Gina’s naturally a little bit bigger than Ronda.

“I think during this downtime, I don’t know either of them personally, but I’m going to assume just from the personalities that I know online and the media, that Carano probably attempted at least to stay in better shape.

“Where Ronda, I think, just quit training altogether and was just out, and now she’s coming back.

“Lastly, Ronda is a lot more predictable. For one thing, she doesn’t go and shoot double legs.

“It’s going to be a judo-style takedown, which is a little bit more predictable. She’s got to get in the clinch and try to attempt to throw.

“If Gina does some of the basic things, she should be able to mitigate that. With that said, it will probably be ugly as hell.”

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Merab Dvalishvili – Former UFC bantamweight champion

“I think Gina Carano will win this fight,” Dvalishvili told Ariel Helwani this week.

“It’s gonna make UFC fighters look bad, and she’s gonna make judo also look bad, but I think she’s gonna win.”

UFC Schedule

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