Ronda Rousey defeated Gina Carano with her signature armbar just 17 seconds into their comeback fight on Saturday night at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. The 39-year-old Rousey, who had not fought in nearly a decade, immediately charged Carano after the opening bell, taking her down and applying the submission hold that made her famous.
After the fight, Rousey said she did not want to hurt Carano but aimed to end the bout quickly for the sake of her family. “My husband and my kids are watching me. I don’t want to put them through anything more than I have to,” she said. Rousey confirmed that this was her final fight, marking the end of her historic MMA career.
Carano, 44, was fighting for the first time in 17 years. Despite the swift defeat, she smiled and embraced Rousey after the finish. “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.” She added that simply stepping into the cage was a victory given her recent health issues.
The bout united two pioneers of women’s MMA. Rousey became a global star as the first UFC women’s champion, while Carano helped popularise the sport in the late 2000s. The event was the first live MMA broadcast on Netflix. Promoter Nakisa Bidarian said he would be open to featuring Carano again, though Carano remained uncertain about her future in the sport.
