"I punch like a trucker" - "Scrambly" Gina Carano confident she would have toppled Ronda Rousey's throne in potential fight
Ronda Rousey has labeled Gina Carano as one of the biggest influences in her mixed martial arts career. While the two were supposed to share the octagon nearly a decade ago, a bout never came to fruition after talks between the former Strikeforce women's featherweight title challenger and the UFC broke down.
Although 'Conviction' hadn't competed in the sport in five years when talks began in 2014, she recently revealed that she is confident that she would have emerged victorious in her UFC debut. Speaking to Patrick Bet-David, Adam Sosnick, Tom Ellsworth, and Vincent Oshana of the PBD Podcast, Carano was asked about a potential matchup. She responded:
"I [win], absolutely... Because I pack a hell of a punch... I know how she punches. I punch like a trucker... [She would have the edge] on the ground obviously but I'm scrambly."
Carano continued:
"It's no disrespect and I'm sure she would say the same thing that she would win, but that's just something I know because I know that after you've been punched like that, she got shook twice [by] Amanda Nunes and Holly Holm, I'm one of the hardest punchers that women's mixed martial arts has ever seen."
Check out Gina Carano's comments on Ronda Rousey below (starting at the 1:49:15 mark):
Carano added that she believes she would have beaten Holly Holm. However, Amanda Nunes would have presented a much more difficult challenge. Despite claiming she would have defeated Rousey, the former mixed martial artist did offer praise to the UFC Hall of Famer by labeling her as a special person.
Ronda Rousey previously revealed she would only return to MMA to face Gina Carano
Ronda Rousey has not competed in mixed martial arts since suffering a first-round TKO loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207, all the way back in 2016. The inaugural UFC women's bantamweight champion has revealed that she would only return to the sport to face Gina Carano. During an appearance on The Kurt Angle Show, 'Rowdy' claimed she had no plans on a return before pausing and adding:
"There's only one person. There's only one person I would come back for... I mean, I've said it a million times. It's not like it's something new but, for Gina man. Gina Carano, she's the reason why I got into fighting, she's the reason why I knew it was a possibility. I will always be forever grateful."
Carano continued:
"If she ever was like, 'Ronda, I wanna fight you tomorrow at 205 pounds', like whatever the h**l she'd want — I'm not saying she's 205 pounds — if she wanted to come into my backyard and do the Rocky thing or, you know, ding, ding and we just do it in the backyard, I don’t care."
Check out Ronda Rousey's comments on returning to face Gina Carano below (starting at the 29:47 mark):
While there were rumors that Rousey could return at UFC 300, nothing came to fruition. It remains unlikely that either fighter will ever compete in mixed martial arts again.