'It's not like my ovaries are fighting' - Rousey dismisses age criticism

'It's not like my ovaries are fighting'Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Ronda Rousey has won 12 of her 14 professional MMA fightsByPaul BattisonBBC Sport JournalistPublished32 minutes agoRonda Rousey has hit back at critics who have questioned her age before her first MMA bout in 10 years against Gina Carano, saying: "It's not like my ovaries are fighting."The 39-year-old, the first woman to be signed by the UFC in 2012 and one of the biggest MMA stars of all time, will fight fellow American Gina Carano at the Intuit Dome in California on 16 May.With Carano, 44, competing for the first time in 17 years, critics have questioned how competitive the bout will be.Rousey pointed to 38-year-old former UFC champion Jon Jones, who last fought 17 months ago, as an example where the same principles are not applied. "I never hear Jon Jones' age being brought up as a disqualifying factor. Why are we even talking about this?" Rousey told CBS Mornings.Jones retired in 2025 but UFC president Dana White has shut down repeated questions from journalists in recent months about his potential return.Rousey defended the UFC bantamweight title six times during a historic reign, but retired in 2016 following defeats by Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.Rousey has acknowledged that she was forced to retire because of repeated concussions, and she and Carano will have extra neurological tests before their bout, which will take place under Jake Paul's promotional outfit MVP and be broadcast live on Netflix.To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.This video can not be playedMedia caption, 'This is the biggest fight in MMA right now'During a news conference last month to promote the fight, Rousey said she wanted to "rewrite her ending" in the sport, criticised the modern UFC and hit back at claims that her encounter with Carano is a "charity" fight.At a news conference in New York on Wedn...