Ronda Rousey Defeats Gina Carano in 17-Second Comeback Bout, Then Retires Again

LOS ANGELES — Ronda Rousey, the former UFC champion who redefined women’s mixed martial arts, stepped back into the cage on Saturday and needed just 17 seconds to submit fellow trailblazer Gina Carano with her signature armbar. The bout, held at the Intuit Dome, was part of the first MMA card to be streamed on Netflix, and it marked the end of a nearly 10-year absence for Rousey and a 17-year hiatus for Carano.

According to multiple reports, Rousey (13-2) charged Carano immediately after the opening bell, tackled her to the canvas, and locked in the armbar that forced the referee to stop the fight. Rousey’s victory was her 10th submission win, and she later said it would be her final fight.

“Gina is the only person who could have brought me back into MMA — she’s my hero,” Rousey said after the fight, as quoted by Reuters. “She changed my world, and we changed the world, and I’ll never ever forget that or be able to pay that back enough.”

The Return of Two Icons

Rousey, 39, and Carano, 44, are widely credited with bringing women’s MMA into the mainstream. Carano was the first woman to headline a major MMA event, when she fought Cris Cyborg in 2009 under the Strikeforce banner. She retired after that loss with a record of 7-1, then moved on to an acting career that included roles in action films and television series.

Rousey, a 2008 Olympic judo bronze medalist, became the UFC’s first women’s bantamweight champion and defended her title six times. She was undefeated until 2015, when Holly Holm knocked her out in front of a record crowd in Melbourne, Australia. Rousey returned a year later and was stopped by Amanda Nunes in 48 seconds, leading to her retirement in 2016.

In an interview with ABC Sport Daily, Rousey said she had lost her love for the sport toward the end of her career. “I think that’s what I was missing towards the end of my career … I just didn’t want to be there anymore,” she said. “I was just dragging myself into the arena for other reasons outside of myself.”

Carano, who lost her acting job in 2021 following a series of controversial social media posts, had not fought since 2009. She said she used her preparation for the bout to overcome multiple health problems from recent years.

A Quick and Decisive End

Despite the hype surrounding the matchup, the fight was over almost as soon as it began. Rousey, who famously won eight fights in under a minute during her rise, wasted no time. She tackled Carano, maneuvered into position, and applied the armbar that forced the stoppage.

“I’m so glad we finally could do this,” Rousey said after the fight, according to Reuters. She added that the return was a one-off and ruled out fighting again.

What’s Next?

The fight was part of a Netflix MMA card produced by Most Valuable Promotions. The main card also featured Francis Ngannou against Philipe Lins and Nate Diaz versus Mike Perry, according to Al Jazeera. The event was available to all Netflix subscribers globally.

Rousey’s retirement this time appears definitive. She had previously said she wanted to “make this thing mine again” and fight for herself, not external pressures. After the victory, she seemed at peace with her legacy.

“We changed the world,” she said. “And I’ll never forget that.”