And for Carano, even longer: almost 17 years. Rousey is 39 now, and Carano turned 44 on April 16.Their age, along with their extended years away from the sport, has critics wondering why they should tune in to a fight that might not look polished or competitive – a notion that Rousey definitely takes umbrage with and hints at being rooted in sexism. "I say that nobody's bringing up Jon Jones' age as a disqualifying factor or Francis Ngannou, you know?"

Rousey said during an interview on "The Breakfast Club" podcast. "And I'm actually more fresh. They've been fighting more often, and their bodies are more broken down, and I've actually been able to recover a lot over this time.

What really set me apart as a fighter was my mastery of martial arts. It wasn't that I was so much bigger and stronger and more explosive than everybody, which I am very athletically gifted. But if anything, I've become more knowledgeable and more informed by the evolution of the sport.

I'm more dangerous than I've ever been. "I don't hear these guys being asked about their age. It's not like my f*cking ovaries are fighting, so why are we even talking about this?"View this post on InstagramMore: Ronda Rousey vs.

Gina Carano could've happened years ago. Why didn't it?The last time Rousey competed in a cage, she was obliterated by Amanda Nunes in 48 seconds at UFC 207. Carano's last fight also ended in defeat by first-round TKO to Cris Cyborg in a Strikeforce title fight.

Despite what anyone believes, Rousey has promised her fight with Carano will be must-see TV."She's going to go for it, and I'm going to go for it, and we're just going to let it fly and show everybody the best fight that they've ever seen," Rousey said in February. "Not best women's fight, the best MMA fight they have ever seen."This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ronda Rousey doesn't appreciate ageism before Gina Carano fight