Gina Carano reveals she lost 100 pounds for Ronda Rousey fight on Netflix: ‘It hurts to say that’

Gina Carano’s unexpected MMA comeback may not be until Saturday, but she’s already accomplished a personal milestone ahead of her Netflix fight against Ronda Rousey.

Carano, a women’s MMA pioneer who last fought in 2009, revealed Friday following the event’s official weigh-ins that she’s lost an impressive 100 pounds in the 20 months since the Rousey fight first came onto her radar. Carano tipped the scales Friday morning at 141.4 pounds, well below the featherweight non-title limit of 146 pounds; Rousey also came in under, weighing in at 142 pounds, making their main-event bout official.

In a social media post Friday morning, Carano wrote that she was “pre-diabetic and “had trouble simply walking” in September 2024 before her transformation began.

“It was hard, SO damn hard,” she wrote. “There was so much to learn, too much to unpack here, ups, downs, plateaus, things I learned late I wish I learned earlier, trial by error, but I did it.”

Carano, 44, was already a pivotal figure in women’s MMA history prior to Rousey’s arrival in the UFC. In 2007, her and Julie Kedzie competed in the first-ever women’s fight televised on Showtime. Two years later, Carano (7-1) made history again when her and Cris Cyborg became the first women to headline a major MMA event with their Strikeforce featherweight championship bout.

Carano retired from MMA following that bout and transitioned into acting, but a potential fight against Rousey always reminded a talking point for fans in the years after.

Rousey vs. Carano is now set to headline the debut MMA event of Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, in a historic first-ever live MMA broadcast for Netflix this Saturday.

Carano’s full post following Friday’s weigh-ins can be read below.

Ok. Vulnerable post but here we are.

I just weighed in at 141.4 lbs.

Since Sept 2024 to today, May 15, 2026, I have lost 100lbs. It hurts to say that and share but I am going to share it because I worked so damn hard every week for over a year and a half to shed this weight. It did not happen overnight.

If it wasn’t for having this incredibly challenging goal in fighting @rondarousey I most definitely wouldn’t have reached this. I was pre-diabetic, had trouble simply walking in September 2024 and have been on the path to recovery to turn myself back into an athlete since then. It was hard, SO damn hard.. there was so much to learn, too much to unpack here, ups, downs, plateaus, things I learned late I wish I learned earlier, trial by error but I did it.

Thank you to Ronda, who waited patiently while I lost this weight and giving me something to aim for.

There is still so much I need to learn and want to do in the health space and to continue transforming my body, but for today, I thank God, my husband and my family for sticking with and encouraging me the whole way.

I pray this encourages you wherever you are in your health journey.

Believe there is hope. Never give up.

Ok.. enough emo, I’ve got a fight tomorrow. We’ve worked so hard to get here. Tune in!!

Keep it locked to Uncrowned all Saturday night for live coverage of Rousey vs. Carano, including results, highlights and round-by-round play-by-play of the entire main card.