Gina Carano and Kevin Ross first started dating in 2001 and split four years later
NEED TO KNOW
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They got back together in 2015 and ultimately wed in 2022, but she didn't reveal that they'd gotten married until 2026
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Ross, a retired Muay Thai fighter, inspired Carano's MMA career
Gina Carano's marriage to Kevin Ross was more than two decades in the making.
The actress first dated Ross, a retired Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer, for several years in the early 2000s. After rekindling their relationship, the two married in August 2022 — something she didn't reveal until four years later in March 2026.
At a press conference in Los Angeles for her May 2026MMA fightwithRonda Rousey, Carano shared that in the years since her retirement, she "moved up to Montana" and got married. (Carano's last fight was in 2009 against Cris Cyborg, perESPN.)
“I got married to my first and last love, Kevin Ross,” she toldreporters. “And it was the best thing I've ever done. So now you all know. I'm married.”
Prior to her announcement,Carano'slast-known relationshipwas withHenry Cavill, whom she split from in 2014, perE! Online.
In February 2021, Carano, also an actress, was fired from the Disney+ seriesThe Mandalorianafter shefaced backlash for controversial social media posts. She later sued her former employer for wrongful termination and discrimination in 2024 andsettled the lawsuitthe following year.
So who is Gina Carano's husband? Here's everything to know about Kevin Ross and his relationship with the actress.
He was born in Pennsylvania
Ross was born in Reading, Pa., on July 27, 1980, per hisbio. Growing up, he moved “every couple of months,” and he “went to so many different schools.”
“We'd move for various reasons. There was a lot going on. I grew up all over the country,” he explained on theAuthentic Adversity Podcastin April 2023.
When he was 14, Ross moved in with his dad in Georgia. Then, they relocated to Las Vegas.
He is a retired Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer
Ross began training in Muay Thai in January 2003 at Master Toddy's in Las Vegas, per his bio.
“I was always drawn to it and it always intrigued me a lot,” Ross shared on theAuthentic Adversity Podcast. “But it did seem so far from anything I could or would ever do.”
Ross went on to have a career as a Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer, which included training and competing globally.
His nickname “The Soul Assassin” came after his first professional fight in Mexico, Ross toldMMA Maniain a March 2013 interview.
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“I had a crazy fight out there and some dude after the fight came up to me and said that should be my nickname just cause of way I fought,” he shared.
He was voted Muay Thai North American Fighter of the Year in December 2010 and held multiple titles throughout his career until retiring in June 2021.
He introduced Carano to MMA fighting
Carano and Ross first began dating on May 29, 2001, per hisInstagram. When Ross began training in Muay Thai in 2003, he also inspired Carano to pursue a career as a mixed martial artist.
“Being a fighter changed his life completely,” Carano told theLas Vegas Sunof her ex in July 2009. “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.”
However, their careers later drove them apart romantically. They ultimately split four years after they started dating, per theNew York Post.
“[Fans] don't see the sacrificing of friends and family,” Ross told theLas Vegas Sun. “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.”
However, they remained close friends at the time. “He really did start off my career and gave me meaning to my life,” Carano added. “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.”
He married Carano in 2022
Carano and Ross privately got back together around 2015, per theNew York Post.
The day after Carano's surprise marriage announcement, Ross revealed more information about their nuptials, telling the outlet that he and Carano had said “I do” at a courthouse in August 2022.
“We didn't even tell our family about it for a few months,” he shared. “We just wanted to keep it to ourselves.”
He said this was due to Carano's public life, saying, "We wanted to do something for ourselves and not tell anybody.”
“It was nice keeping it a secret,” he explained. “Something only we knew. Nobody knew we were married I don't think for like a year or so. We didn't tell anybody.”
The couple had previously intended to hold a “big wedding” in 2025, but put things on hold as Carano's match with Rousey neared.
Ross added, “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.”
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