Ronda Rousey Netflix Fight: The Hardcore Gaming History of the MMA Icon

On May 16, 2026, Netflix will broadcast its first live MMA event, put on by MVP (Most Valuable Promotions). While fans of the sport might be excited to see fights like Nate Diaz versus Mike Perry and Francis Ngannou against Philipe Lins, the biggest draw will be the fight between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. Both fighters were incredibly popular and played a key role in bringing women’s MMA into the spotlight, especially when the UFC didn’t feature female competitors.

Why is this relevant to gamers? While Gina Carano is known for her role in Red Alert 3, Ronda Rousey also has a long history with gaming that many people might not realize. Beyond her achievements as an Olympian, MMA fighter, and WWE star, Rousey is a dedicated gamer who’s been passionate about games like Pokemon and World of Warcraft her whole life.

The Netflix MMA event begins at 9 PM Eastern Time. Because Ronda Rousey versus Cristiane Justino is the last fight scheduled, it won’t start until later in the evening.

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Rousey, The Baddest Raider On The Planet

Rousey’s WoW Pedigree

Ronda Rousey is widely known for her love of World of Warcraft, and she’s even partnered with Blizzard on events like the game’s 15th-anniversary celebration. For many, a WoW subscription is a sign of a dedicated gamer, and Rousey has been playing for over ten years. The game provides a welcome escape from her intense training and the pressures of daily life.

Ronda Rousey played games online even before she partnered with Facebook Gaming, and some of her streams are still available on YouTube. She was most active around 5 or 6 years ago, but occasionally uploaded videos. Her gaming history includes titles like Dead Cells, Among Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, Animal Crossing, and, of course, Pokemon. She had also mentioned playing Warcraft previously.

Ronda Rousey shared on Conan that she connected with Vin Diesel while filming Furious 7 because they both enjoyed playing World of Warcraft. He even helped her get better at the game, as she was new to it then, and she often plays as a Night Elf Hunter or Blood Elf Rogue. In a 2020 interview, Rousey also mentioned that her whole family—including her husband and children—played World of Warcraft together.

When my husband and I first started dating, I was really into playing World of Warcraft. He started playing too, because he wanted to spend time with me, and eventually all of our kids got into it as well. We used to enjoy doing raids and dungeons together as a family. – Ronda Rousey, as told to Digital Spy

Ronda Rousey, The Rowdy Moderator Of Pokemon Forums

A Big Pokemon Fan

Before becoming a famous athlete, Ronda Rousey actually started as an online forum moderator. Later, at age 17, she competed in her first Olympics as the youngest judoka in the competition. She returned to the Olympics at 21, winning a bronze medal. Finally, at 23, she began her mixed martial arts career, winning her first amateur fight against Hayden Munoz.

It’s well-known now that Ronda Rousey is a huge Pokémon fan. Back in her teens, she was even a moderator on the GamersChoice fan forum, using the username “Snooch.booch.” She’s always been open about her love for the game, and unsurprisingly, her old profile has been found online.

When Ronda Rousey was at her peak in the UFC, she chatted with MMAFightingonSBN about her love for Pokemon. She shared that she first got into the franchise with the trading cards and that Pokemon Blue was the very first game she played.

Rousey’s Favorite Pokemon Is Mew

Now, Try To Picture Mew With Vegeta’s Hair

Back in 2015, Ronda Rousey was a global superstar, and her reign as the UFC Bantamweight Champion felt unbreakable. She decided to do a Q&A session on Reddit, which can be risky for public figures (as she’d later experience again in 2024). Let’s take a look at how she started that session.

It’s funny that Ronda Rousey, known for her toughness, started a recent post by showing off her love for nerdy things. Someone even asked her what her personal symbol from Game of Thrones would be, and she jokingly replied it would be a Mew with Vegeta’s spiky hair! It’s a strange image to picture, but honestly, it sounds pretty awesome.

Rousey’s Dream Role Is Metroid’s Samus Aran

The Baddest Bounty Hunter In The Universe

Most of us have likely fantasized about living like our favorite video game or anime characters. Whether it’s imagining ourselves as Nathan Drake, Lara Croft, Doomguy, or Goku, gaming is all about escaping reality and letting our imaginations run wild. It’s just fun to dream about the impossible!

Ronda Rousey once told GameSpot in 2016 that if she could play any video game character in a movie, it would be Samus Aran from Metroid. It’s a fitting choice, as Samus is a powerfully awesome hero. While Rousey hasn’t done much acting since the mid-2010s, making this casting unlikely, it’s not impossible. Nintendo is now more open to adapting its games into big-budget films, so you never know what might happen.

Rousey, The Legendary Raid Champion

Taking Matters Into Her Own Hands

Despite rumors that Ronda Rousey appeared as a character in World of Warcraft, the character named “Rhonda” is actually based on a Blizzard employee. Rousey did later become a playable character in the popular mobile game Raid: Shadow Legends – you’ve probably seen ads for it.

In late 2022, a WWE wrestler was added to Raid: Shadow Legends as a free, limited-time character. She was only available until early 2023 and hasn’t returned since. It now seems unlikely she ever will, meaning players either managed to download her or missed out. While Raid: Shadow Legends isn’t everyone’s favorite game, it still attracts millions of players each day, making this a significant event for the game’s community.

Rousey Is Mortal Kombat 11’s Sonya Blade

Her Only Video Game Role (Not Appearance)

Ronda Rousey has appeared in a surprising number of video games! She’s been a playable character in 5 EA Sports UFC games and 5 WWE games, and with the addition of Raid: Shadow Legends, that brings the total to 11. That’s a really impressive accomplishment! She’s even been featured prominently, appearing on the cover of EA Sports UFC 2 and as a bonus for those who pre-ordered WWE 2K19.

When it comes to video games, Ronda Rousey has only appeared in one title: Mortal Kombat 11. Most gamers probably know her for playing Sonya Blade, a role that didn’t receive universal praise. However, it was exciting to see a real martial arts star take on such a well-known fighting game character, and opinions on her performance have become more positive recently, especially considering some of the casting choices in the newer Mortal Kombat 1.

Regardless of the outcome of Gina Carano’s fight on Netflix, Ronda Rousey has already made a lasting impact on popular culture. She was a pioneer in the UFC, played a key role in the growth of women’s wrestling in WWE, and even became a highly skilled player in World of Warcraft.

2026-05-16 18:07