Ronda Rousey‘s comeback dominated the headlines. Gina Carano‘s return raised eyebrows. But as the dust settles around their Netflix super fight under Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions banner, one narrative is already emerging—and it is not in Carano’s favor.

Nearly 17 years after her last MMA fight, ‘Conviction’ steps back into the cage against a former UFC champion who, despite her own lengthy absence, competed at a much higher level. The betting lines reflect this reality. The questions are loud. Skepticism has grown louder. And, strangely enough, her coach wouldn’t have it any other way.

Gina Carano’s coach embraces underdog mindset for Ronda Rousey fight

“Absolutely. I prefer the underdog. I love that challenge,” John Wood told Damon Martin. “Those are the situations I’ve made a career off of—working with fighters people doubted.

This isn’t just a cash grab. This is two women who actually want to fight. And I can tell you, the fire is there.”

He claims that this isn’t just nostalgia wrapped in a paycheck. Showing up is not Gina Carano’s goal. Winning is. So, they’re firing on all cylinders already. For John Wood, being counted out isn’t pressure. It’s fuel.

‘Conviction’ hasn’t fought since 2009. Rousey has not competed in MMA since 2016. But the head coach at Syndicate MMA believes that motivation levels the timeline gap. For him and his fighters, the pressure’s the same whether they’re the underdog or the favorite.

All it does is it gives one that little extra push to say, ‘Look what we can do. And we’ll go do it.’ So, for a fight many see as a spectacle, John Wood sees something else entirely: an opportunity for Gina Carano to shock the world by possibly knocking out Ronda Rousey.

However, it is worth noting that while Carano’s coach claims the fire was always there, it was a conversation with ‘Rowdy’ that convinced her to end her 11-year retirement.

Carano opens up on the pep talk that led to the massive return

Team Gina Carano may thrive in the underdog position, but even the fighter admits that her return plans didn’t start in a gym—it started with a conversation. Before the contracts, before Netflix, before the Intuit Dome was booked, it was Ronda Rousey who reached out. And according to ‘Conviction,’ that call changed everything.

“Ronda came to me and said there is only one person she would make a comeback for, and it has been her dream to make this fight happen between us,” Carano said in a press release. She thanked me for opening up doors for her in her career and was respectful in asking for this fight to happen. This is an honor.

I believe I will walk out of this fight with the win, and I anticipate it will not come easy, which I welcome.”

That line says more than any promo ever could. This is not about revisiting the past. It is about finishing a chapter that was never written. And now, after more than a decade apart, Gina Carano believes the moment—and the opponent—finally make sense.