Ronda Rousey stepped into an AEW ring on Sunday night at Revolution 2026 — but it's her May 16 MMA comeback that has the combat sports world paying attention.
The UFC Hall of Famer appeared at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles following a match between AEW's Toni Storm and Marina Shafir, entering the ring to go face-to-face with Storm in a charged confrontation that quickly went viral.
Security and referees separated the two before anything escalated, though Shafir — Rousey's longtime friend landed a cheap shot on Storm in the melee. Full details on the wrestling segment are at SEScoops.
Ronda Rousey's Close Bond With Marina Shafir
Ronda Rousey’s presence alongside Marina Shafir is far from coincidental. The two share a close bond that dates back well before their time in professional wrestling. Shafir previously trained under the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion, building a connection that later carried over into the wrestling world, where the pair even teamed together in Ring of Honor in 2023.
Shafir has already confirmed that she will be in Ronda Rousey’s corner for her highly anticipated MMA showdown against fellow veteran Gina Carano.
The bout is scheduled to take place on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, making Sunday’s appearance feel just as much like a show of support and alliance as it did a wrestling storyline.
Two Months Out From The Biggest Fight Of 2026
With her May 16 Netflix card now fully taking shape — Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins confirmed as the co-main event — Rousey's public profile heading into the fight is exactly where Most Valuable Promotions needs it to be.
Sunday's AEW moment puts her in front of a mainstream wrestling audience of millions at a critical point in the promotional calendar.
"Rowdy", 39, hasn't competed in MMA since her knockout loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016. Her opponent, Gina Carano, 43, last fought professionally in 2009. The fight will be contested at 145 pounds over five five-minute rounds under the Unified Rules of MMA inside a hexagon cage.
The matchup has drawn high-profile support from Amanda Serrano, who called it a game-changer and praised both women as pioneers of combat sports.