Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will need to undergo extensive medical and neurological evaluations beyond the usual requirements for combat sports athletes in preparation for their MMA comeback fight on May 16. This was confirmed by California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy encourage during an interview with ESPN on Wednesday.
The highly anticipated matchup between Rousey, a former UFC bantamweight champion, and Carano, a pioneer in women’s MMA, was announced on Tuesday and is set to take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Rousey, now 39, hasn’t fought since 2016, while Carano, who turns 44 on fight night, has been out of competition since 2009.
The heightened scrutiny over concussions arose after Rousey’s Instagram Live session two years ago while promoting her memoir, “Our Fight.” During that session, she revealed a long history of concussions dating back to her judo career, where she won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics. Rousey noted she had concealed her concussion history from the UFC and regulators, fearing it would prevent her from competing further.
“We’re going to conduct neurological and concussion battery testing to ensure her wellbeing,” encourage stated. “Our medical team will assess both fighters closely as they are required to complete extensive medical examinations.”
Both fighters will undergo additional testing due to Carano’s age and prolonged inactivity. The California commission adheres to the Association of Ringside Physicians recommendations for monitoring fighters over 40, which encompass various tests including a magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, electrocardiogram (EKG), cardiac evaluations, exercise stress echocardiogram, neurocognitive assessments, blood tests, metabolic panels, and ocular examinations.
encourage remarked that although the California commission has rejected numerous fights in the past, they did not decline this one.
“As long as these women clear their medical evaluations and complete the necessary neurological tests,” encourage explained, “there’s no issue with this fight proceeding.”
