Rousey received the struggle along with her signature armbar lock, forcing Carano into submission simply 17 seconds into the bout.
Revealed On 17 Might 2026
Blended martial arts (MMA) star Ronda Rousey has retired once more after demolishing fellow fight sports activities trailblazer Gina Carano of their long-awaited nontitle comeback bout in Los Angeles, defeating her rival by armbar after simply 17 seconds.
After a hype-filled build-up, the bout on Saturday was a jarring anticlimax, with Rousey flooring Carano nearly instantly earlier than wrestling her into an armbar to finish the struggle.
American stars Rousey, 39, and Carano, 44, are extensively considered two of essentially the most outstanding feminine fighters in MMA historical past, serving to to take the game into the mainstream throughout their preventing heydays greater than a decade in the past.
Carano had parlayed her success right into a Hollywood profession, showing in a number of motion film roles, however had not fought since 2009 earlier than her look in Saturday’s featherweight bout.
Rousey, a 2008 Olympics judo bronze medallist who subsequently discovered enormous success within the Final Combating Championship (UFC), retired from the game in 2016 after struggling back-to-back defeats towards Amanda Nunes and Holly Holm.
The fighters had been lured again into the cage for Saturday’s card on the Intuit Dome with the promise of a bumper payday that may reportedly see every fighter earn a number of million {dollars} from the streaming large.
Rousey (13-2-0 MMA) secured her tenth submission win, returning to the cage following an exit from MMA in December 2016.
She insisted afterwards that her return to the ring was a one-off and dominated out the opportunity of preventing once more after paying tribute to Carano.
“Gina is the one one that might have introduced me again into MMA – she’s my hero,” Rousey stated. “She modified my world, and we modified the world, and I’ll by no means ever overlook that or have the ability to pay that again sufficient.
“I’m so glad we lastly obtained to share this second.”
Requested about presumably extending her comeback, Rousey added, “There’s no approach I might have ended it higher than this. I wish to have some extra infants, obtained to get cooking.”
Carano (7-2-0 MMA) had been inactive within the sport since August 2009, returning to MMA after a dialog final yr at Rousey’s encouragement. She admitted the struggle was too quick for her, regretting what extra she might have achieved in a brief timeframe.
“I really feel nice,” Carano stated after the loss. “I wished to struggle, and I didn’t get that. However she skilled. She had her sport plan. I’ve a lot love and respect for her, and this was a victory in my life. She modified it. I awoke at 3am each morning interested by her. I fell again in love with blended martial arts. There’s so many issues to consider right here. It’s simply [that] the struggle didn’t go my approach.”
“I wished that to last more – I felt like I used to be so prepared, I felt so good,” she stated. “However I haven’t been right here for 17 years. I wished to hit her.”
Carano, 44, is uncertain whether or not she’ll return to MMA, conserving the door open.
She stated the mere truth of getting in form for her return – she revealed earlier than the bout she had shed greater than 100 kilos (45kg) within the two years main as much as the competition – was a victory.
“Proper now, simply getting within the cage was a victory; getting right here after 17 years is a victory. Combating a legend was a victory. I really feel nice, I simply wished to struggle, and I didn’t get to try this.”
