Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano, Nate Diaz vs Mike Perry headline MVP event May 16

MVP released staredown footage this week for its May 16 event, and the video confirms three high-profile matchups headlined by a long-awaited women's clash between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, with Nate Diaz versus Mike Perry and Francis Ngannou versus Felipe Linz also featured on the main card.

Rousey, nicknamed "Rowdy," enters at 12-2-0 and is 39 years old, competing out of Team Hayastan. Standing five-foot-seven with a 66-inch reach, she is one of the most decorated fighters in women's MMA history. Her numbers reflect a dominant grappling-based style: she averages 6.26 takedowns per 15 minutes and 4.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes, while landing significant strikes at a 52 percent accuracy rate.

Carano, known as "Conviction," carries a 7-1-0 record into the bout at age 44, training out of Xtreme Couture. The five-foot-eight orthodox fighter averages 4.5 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy and adds 1.24 takedowns and 1.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes, rounding out a well-balanced skill set.

Diaz, 41, brings a 22-13-0 record and fights out of the Cesar Gracie Fight Team. The six-foot southpaw owns a 76-inch reach and lands 4.57 significant strikes per minute, backed by 1.3 submission attempts per 15 minutes — a reflection of his Stockton-bred boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu background.

Why it matters

• Rousey vs. Carano is a landmark women's MMA pairing, pitting two of the sport's most recognizable names against each other.
• Diaz vs. Perry promises an aggressive striking exchange between two fighters with high output and durable chins.
• The Ngannou-Linz addition gives the card heavyweight star power, making May 16 one of MVP's most stacked events to date.