Gina Carano's biggest opponent ahead of her MMA return isn't in the cage. It's a 16-year-old habit from her acting career. The fighter is struggling to stop 'emoting' during training, a challenge she must overcome before her much-anticipated comeback.

The biggest challenge in Carano’s current training camp is her struggle with emoting in the gym. Her 16 years of acting habit is now deeply integrated into her daily behavior. In Hollywood, her primary job was to constantly show emotion for the camera to tell a story.

Now that she is back in the gym, this habit shows up during tough sparring sessions. She explained the issue, saying, "I get so used to, like, in movies, they’re always like, 'Emote more! Emote more!' she added that she catches herself "making all these faces" and "reacting" to everything.

Her coaches, including John, continuously remind her to tone the expressions down. They tell her to "be a little bit cooler" and keep a strict "game face" during practice.

Dealing with this habit is a tough mental reprogramming process. This mental shift is just the first step as she gets ready for one of the biggest fights of her life.

A Return to Reclaim the Fighter Within

Carano's return to the cage comes after 17 years away from professional MMA. She is officially scheduled to face fellow MMA pioneer Ronda Rousey on Saturday, May 16, 2026. This bout will stream live globally on Netflix from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

Her preparation is also much more different this time around. As a veteran athlete, she puts a heavy focus on recovery, nutrition, and mental health. She is training smarter to handle the five five-minute rounds ahead of her.

After facing recent health struggles, she views the training as a "necessary evil." She even credits the daily gym grind with saving her life again.

Her May 16 showdown on Netflix is a journey of rediscovering her true identity. She is finally learning how to balance her past life of performance with today’s reality. 

How do you think Gina Carano will handle the cage against Ronda Rousey?

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Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil