Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey made a stunning return to mixed martial arts on Saturday, defeating Gina Carano via armbar submission in just 17 seconds at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The bout, streamed live on Netflix, marked the first MMA event for the streaming platform and featured a significant payday for both fighters, who earned several million dollars each.
A Historic Comeback
Rousey, 39, and Carano, 44, are widely regarded as pioneers of women's MMA. Both helped bring the sport into the mainstream over a decade ago. Carano had not fought since 2009, while Rousey retired in 2016 after consecutive losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. The fight was billed as a long-awaited clash between two legends.
In the opening seconds, Rousey quickly took Carano down, secured a dominant position, and locked in an armbar, forcing Carano to tap out immediately. The victory was a swift and decisive end to a matchup years in the making.
Post-Fight Reactions
After the fight, Rousey insisted that her MMA return was a one-time event and ruled out any future bouts. She paid tribute to Carano, calling her a hero and the reason she entered the sport. "Gina is the only person who could have brought me back into MMA — she's my hero," Rousey said. "She changed my world, and we changed the world, and I'll never ever forget that or be able to pay that back enough."
Rousey also stated her intention to focus on family, saying, "I want to have some more babies, got to get cooking."
Carano, who had not fought in 17 years, expressed disappointment that the fight ended so quickly but considered her return a victory in itself. "I wanted that to last longer — I felt like I was so ready, I felt so good," Carano said. "But I haven't been here for 17 years. I wanted to hit her. Right now, just getting in the cage was a victory; getting here after 17 years is a victory. Fighting a legend was a victory."
Undercard Results
The event also featured several notable undercard bouts. Mike Perry earned his first MMA victory since June 2020 by defeating Nate Diaz in a two-round welterweight fight. Perry bloodied Diaz with a flying knee in the second round, prompting referee Mike Beltran to wave off the fight after consulting with Diaz's corner.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou defeated Philipe Lin in the first round. Robelis Despaigne knocked out Junior Dos Santos in the first round of their main card bout. In his American debut, French lightweight Salahdine Parnasse beat Kenneth Cross via first-round stoppage.
The event was promoted by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions and marked a significant milestone for MMA on streaming platforms.
