Ronda Rousey Submits Gina Carano in 17 Seconds in MMA Comeback

Ronda Rousey defeated Gina Carano with her signature armbar 17 seconds into the first round of their comeback bout Saturday night, marking a dominant return for the former UFC champion.

After dispatching the 44-year-old Carano with the ferocity that defined her prime, the 39-year-old Rousey reiterated that the victory serves as the coda to her historic MMA career, insisting she will retire after ending on a decisive win.

“I was hoping to come out as unscathed as possible,” Rousey said. “I didn’t really want to hurt her. Luckily it was beautiful martial arts, that’s what I think that was. It was art.”

Rousey (13-2) wasted no time after the opening bell, charging forward and taking Carano to the mat before swiftly transitioning to her signature armbar, wrenching Carano’s arm until the referee stopped the fight.

Rousey won eight fights in under one minute during her meteoric rise through MMA in the 2010s. When asked if she considered delaying the finish in her comeback after nearly a decade away, Rousey laughed.

“Hell no,” she said. “My husband and my kids are watching me. I don’t want to put them through anything more than I have to.”

Carano, who had not fought in 17 years, smiled even after the swift end to one of the longest layoffs in professional sports history. The two fighters embraced and exchanged warm words after the stoppage, raising each other’s arms in victory.

“I wanted that to last longer,” Carano said. “I felt so ready. I’ve never felt that good. But I haven’t been here for 17 years … and I wanted to hit her.”

The improbable double comeback bout brought together two of the most significant fighters from MMA’s past two decades. Rousey became one of the world’s most famous athletes after winning the first women’s title in the UFC, which began promoting women’s MMA largely because of her talent and star power.

Rousey first became interested in MMA after watching Carano, whose athleticism and star power made her a television headliner when the sport was still fighting for legitimacy in the late 2000s. Rousey left the sport after consecutive losses, while Carano moved into acting after her first loss.

After having two children and settling into post-fighting life on her farm, Rousey began seriously considering an MMA return last year. She immediately focused on a fight with Carano, whose acting career ended abruptly in 2021 following a series of controversial social media posts.

Carano said she was happy to finally accept the comeback she had occasionally considered, using her preparation as a way to overcome multiple health problems from recent years.

“Getting in here after 17 years was a victory,” Carano said. “Fighting a legend was a victory. I feel great. But she trained. She had her game plan. I have so much love and respect for her.”

The event at Intuit Dome was the first live MMA show on Netflix, which is moving aggressively into combat sports.

Rousey has repeatedly said this will be her final fight, while Carano said she does not know what the future holds. Afterward, Carano said she has not ruled out another bout, and promoter Nakisa Bidarian said he would be eager to feature Carano on another card.

“I think 17 years [off] was a lot,” Carano said. “[Being] 44 is a lot. But I’m going to go look at this. I didn’t get anything out I expected to get in this fight.”