Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano ‘at a similar level’ says mutual training partner

Jacqueline Cavalcanti and Ronda Rousey | Photo via Jacqueline Cavalcanti

Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano collide in a five-round MMA showdown with nostalgic vibes this Saturday in California, on a show promoted by Most Valuable Promotions that airs live on Netflix. The women’s MMA pioneers have been preparing for months, and they share a common training partner: UFC bantamweight Jacqueline Cavalcanti.

Undefeated in five UFC appearances and ranked No. 9 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, Cavalcanti was invited by Rousey to spar in Las Vegas in July of 2025. Cavalcanti was called back a couple of times, but couldn’t train with the former UFC champion due to a wrist injury on one occasion and missed out on another opportunity due to being out of town.

“It was funny because I had just sparred with Ronda,” Cavalcanti told MMA Fighting, “And a month later, or maybe a week later, Gina started training at Syndicate. I was like, ‘Wow, what a coincidence.’”

Cavalcanti, who later booked her next appearance for the same date, battles top-ranked Ketlen Vieira at the Meta APEX this Saturday at UFC Vegas 117. She became aware Rousey and Carano were actually working on a deal to to face each other in a double comeback fight, so she had to pass on an offer to train with Rousey.

“Then I actually found out [Rousey] was going to fight Gina Carano and Gina Carano is training with me at Syndicate,” Cavalcanti said, “So I said, ‘I won’t be able to [train anymore], unfortunately.’ I can’t be on both sides of the fence.”

Rousey hasn’t fought in MMA since losing to Amanda Nunes in December of 2016. Carano’s last fight took place in 2009, a defeat to Cris Cyborg in the Strikeforce cage. Carano was scheduled to return two years after that, but bout with Sarah D’Alelio was cancelled due to medical reasons.

Cavalcanti made her pro MMA debut in 2018, years after Rousey and Carano left the sport and understands both athletes and their importance to the game.

“I already knew Gina when I watched her fight against Cris Cyborg,” Cavalcanti said. “I’m a big fan of Cris and I remember watching that fight between those two killers, and when I met Gina at Syndicate she said, ‘Hi, I’m Gina Carano.’ She looked quite different. She’s lost a lot of weight now, but when she came back to training she was still getting back to fighting shape.”