Gina Carano has made multiple headlines recently. The actress, who first made a name for herself as a professional MMA fighter, made her return to the sport after years away, squaring off against Ronda Rousey in 2026. As per a report shared by Forbes, Rousey brought the fight to a close in just seventeen seconds, submitting Carano with an armbar in the first round.
Carano, for her part, had more than just a fight result to talk about when she caught up with reporters ahead of the bout. She shared some personal news that left people talking.
“I moved up to Montana, I live on a farm, I got married,” she said.
“To my first and last love, Kevin Ross… it was the best thing I’ve ever done, and that’s probably what people want to know,” she added.
As per a report shared by People, Carano and Kevin Ross go back well over two decades. The two dated throughout much of the early 2000s, with Ross being a retired Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer. They parted ways at some point, before eventually coming back together. The couple married in August 2022. That being said, Carano kept it quiet. It was only in March 2026, nearly four years on, that she confirmed the marriage publicly.
Kevin Ross inspired Gina Carano to pursue MMA before their careers drove them apart:
The story of Gina Carano and Kevin Ross began well before their marriage. According to a report shared by People, it was Ross who set Carano on the path to a professional MMA career after he began training her in Muay Thai in 2003. Carano spoke openly about it in an interview with the Las Vegas Sun back in 2009.
“Being a fighter changed his life completely,” Carano shared.
“In one night he just made the decision to stop everything that he was doing and start something that he always wanted to do, and that inspired me to eventually sign up,” she added.
That being said, the demands of the sport eventually took a toll on the relationship. Their careers drove them apart, and the two called it quits around four years into things, as per the New York Post. Ross spoke plainly with the Las Vegas Sun about what the fighting life actually costs.
“[Fans] don’t see the sacrificing of friends and family,” Ross shared .
“Having to be in the gym all the time, not being able to go and hang out with your friends. Most people have no clue what it really takes to be a fighter,” he added.
The two never lost touch, though. Gina Carano has never been quiet about what Ross meant to her career.
“He really did start off my career and gave me meaning to my life. It’s weird that it happened, I don’t know if it wasn’t for him. He’s the kind of person who in one day completely just changed his life and that affected mine,” she shared.
Ross reveals the couple exchanged vows at a courthouse and kept the news quiet for over a year:
Gina Carano and Kevin Ross quietly found their way back to each other around 2015, as per the New York Post. When Ross spoke to reporters, he filled in a few of the blanks. The couple had exchanged vows at a courthouse back in August 2022.
“We didn’t even tell our family about it for a few months. We just wanted to keep it to ourselves,” he shared.
Ross explained that Carano’s very public profile played a big part in the decision.
“We wanted to do something for ourselves and not tell anybody,” he said.
“It was nice keeping it a secret. Something only we knew. Nobody knew we were married I don’t think for like a year or so. We didn’t tell anybody,” he added.
The couple had also planned a proper wedding for 2025. They put those plans on hold, though, as Carano’s bout with Rousey drew closer.
“We got the important part out of the way, so we’re not in a rush to do it. Whenever it feels right and the time’s right,” he added.
As per a report shared by E! Online, before she and Ross found each other again, Gina Carano had previously dated actor Henry Cavill, from whom she split in 2014.
Rousey and Carano share an emotional embrace:
As per a report shared by Variety, Rousey and Gina Carano shared an emotional embrace after the fight. Rousey was full of praise for her opponent during the post-fight interviews.
“F*cking hero,” she said of Gina Carano, in a clear show of sportsmanship. Rousey also used the moment to announce the fight was her last, adding that she was now looking forward to having “more f*cking babies.”
Carano, meanwhile, put her own spin on the result. Stepping back into the cage at all, she said, was “a victory” in itself.
Edited by Ryan D’souza