Ronda Rousey may soon find herself fighting an uphill battle, as one of her biggest rivals just offered to help Gina Carano. Rousey and Carano are set to face each other on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The five-round MMA bout will be broadcast live on Netflix—a first for the streaming giant. But who is this mystery rival, offering Carano help?

Well, it’s none other than PFL featherweight champion Cris Cyborg. Although it’s Carano who has fought the Brazilian, Rousey and Cyborg have unfinished business of their own. Cyborg had called for a fight against Ronda Rousey back in the 2010s, but Rousey dismissed her, calling her a cheater. Now, ahead of Rousey and Carano’s return, Cyborg is offering a helping hand.

Cris Cyborg continues to call Ronda Rousey a duck

“I would rather help [Gina Carano] prepare for her comeback if I can than compete against her,” Cris Cyborg wrote on X.

Her comment came in response to fans speculating that Ronda Rousey could withdraw from the bout, opening the door for Cyborg to step in as a replacement. However, a fan later responded to Cyborg’s offer, suggesting she would be overqualified to help Carano train for Rousey. This prompted the PFL featherweight champion to break down what she brings to the table. 

“I think where I can offer the most help is clench training,” Cyborg responded. “I’ve fought a career of women trying to take me down and spent a good 2-3 years focusing on Ronda’s takedowns specifically. Also at 40 😅 I know what it means to be a good training partner without hurting anyone or having a gym ego.”

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Interestingly, Cris Cyborg’s tone hadn’t always been so supportive. When the fight was first announced, she took a far sharper jab at her longtime rival.

“All those years of ducking me at 145 when we were both in our prime?!” Cyborg queried. “I thought you had CTE or something?”

When Rousey retired from MMA in 2016, she cited a history of concussions as a key factor in her decision to walk away. Cyborg, however, has consistently maintained that Rousey avoided a showdown with her. She pointed to past calls for a catchweight clash that ultimately never happened. Ronda Rousey has not competed in nearly nine years, following consecutive knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.

After stepping away from the Octagon, the 39-year-old transitioned to professional wrestling with WWE, though that stint was relatively brief. Meanwhile, Gina Carano has not fought since her knockout loss to Cyborg in August 2009, making her upcoming bout a return to MMA competition after more than 16 years away from the sport.

While Rousey and Carano gear up for their long-awaited superfight, Cris Cyborg might have a superfight of her own to prepare for.

John Martin on Cyborg vs. Dakota Ditcheva

Dakota Ditcheva has quickly become a top name in PFL with an undefeated record to show for it. However, a hand injury prevented her from competing in the promotion’s show in Dubai. Now that she is healing well, PFL CEO John Martin has predicted Ditcheva will return to action in the summer. 

Although she was supposed to face Denise Kielholtz at the PFL Dubai card, a fight against featherweight champion Cris Cyborg has gained momentum. 

“I’d like to try to make that fight happen,” Martin told MMA Fighting. “I think there’s a natural order to get to that fight, though. I’d like to see Cris Cyborg fight this summer, and there’s somebody else other than Dakota. And I’m going to work to try to make that fight. Maybe that’s at the same time Dakota’s fighting these other people that I mentioned.”

Martin feels that if Ditcheva can move up to featherweight, he would be open to pairing her with Cyborg down the line in a super fight.

Clearly, there’s plenty of super fights to go around in the women’s MMA scene. However, it appears Cris Cyborg is adamant about making things much more difficult for her rival. Do you think Carano can use Cyborg’s help?