Harrison took issue with Rousey’s claim that her May 16 fight against Gina Carano is the biggest in MMA. The bantamweight champion also suggested that both Rousey and Carano are irrelevant. In response, Rousey fired back, asking why Harrison’s canceled fight against Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 was booked on the co-main event. She asked why Harrison is paid less than Rousey when she was in the UFC. Now, Harrison has issued a fight callout.

“FIGHT ME DEN,” Kayla Harrison wrote on X. 

Despite Rousey’s fiery rant, it’s hard to ignore one reality: it’s been nearly a decade since Ronda Rousey last competed in MMA. She exited the sport after consecutive losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, and hasn’t fought since. Gina Carano, meanwhile, hasn’t stepped into the cage since her 2009 defeat to Cris Cyborg. Given that they are now 39 and 43, it’s fair to question how relevant a potential matchup would be today.

Both climbed the U.S. judo ranks as teenagers, often competing in overlapping divisions. They even faced each other at the 2005 U.S. Championships, where an 18-year-old Rousey defeated a 15-year-old Harrison. The two also trained under respected coach Jimmy Pedro, further deepening their connection. Today, however, they stand in entirely different phases of life and career. 

Still, Harrison’s recent response to Rousey’s rant has reignited interest. And, unsurprisingly, Cris Cyborg has joined the conversation.

Cris Cyborg mocks Ronda Rousey while responding to Kayla Harrison

“I’ve been trying,” Cyborg wrote back. 

Much like Harrison and Rousey, Cyborg and Rousey never actually shared the cage. Their rivalry dates back to 2012, when fans and promoters pushed for a showdown, even as a significant weight gap complicated negotiations. That tension only escalated after Cyborg tested positive for PEDs, something Rousey repeatedly cited as a reason to avoid the matchup. Rousey insisted that she wouldn’t fight someone with a history of using banned substances.

Cyborg, however, has long rejected that stance, framing it as outright ducking and continuing to call Rousey out over the years. The back-and-forth simmered without resolution, and eventually, Rousey exited the UFC while Cyborg later joined the promotion and went on to capture the featherweight title.

Though the fight never materialized, the rivalry never fully faded. Both have traded occasional jabs in interviews and on social media. More recently, ahead of Rousey’s proposed bout with Gina Carano, who notably suffered her last defeat to Cyborg, Rousey even came to Carano’s defense, referencing the same PED controversy that once fueled her own refusal to face Cyborg.

“Obviously, that was a cheating, roided-up b—ch that totally cheated you out of your title that was deservingly yours,” Rousey said. “You’re too nice to say it, so I’m going to say it: F—k her. And you’re the best.”

In response, Cyborg reminded everyone that it was one failed test 15 years ago, and that she has been clean under rigorous testing ever since. She called it crazy that Rousey is still bringing her up. 

“This is annoying her,” Cyborg wrote. “But I’m just living my life… It’s crazy that I’m still on her mind.”

Cyborg also offered to help Gina Carano prepare for the fight against Rousey and mocked the idea of fighting Rousey now as a total mismatch.

It seems even though years have passed, Kayla Harrison and Ronda Rousey aren’t on friendly terms. It’s unlikely that Rousey would fight Harrison, and fans will have to create their own theories to solve this ‘what if’.

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