Ronda Rousey needed less than half a minute to close the book on her MMA comeback. The former UFC champion submitted Gina Carano with her trademark armbar just 17 seconds into the first round Saturday night, May 16, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, ending one of the most heavily promoted women’s fights in recent memory almost as quickly as it began.
According to ESPN, the bout headlined Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA event on Netflix and marked Rousey’s first fight in nearly 10 years. The ending looked familiar to longtime MMA fans: a fast takedown, immediate control on the ground, and a seamless transition into the armbar that once made Rousey the most dominant woman in combat sports.
After the win, Rousey said the fast finish was intentional. “I was hoping to come out as unscathed as possible,” she said following the fight. “I didn’t really want to hurt her. It was beautiful martial arts. That was art.”
The victory moves Rousey’s professional record to 13-2 and officially closes what she described in recent months as an effort to “rewrite” the ending of her MMA story. Unlike her final UFC appearances in 2015 and 2016, which ended in knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, this performance gave her a decisive final moment on her own terms.
Rousey confirmed afterward that she does not plan to compete again.
For Carano, the fight represented the end of a much longer layoff. The former Strikeforce star hadn’t competed since 2009 and entered the matchup after spending years away from MMA while building a Hollywood career that included The Mandalorian, Deadpool, and Fast & Furious 6. She recently revealed that she lost 100 pounds in preparation for the fight and described the comeback as one of the hardest but healthiest experiences of her life.
Still, Carano admitted she hoped the fight would last longer. “I wanted to hit her,” she said afterward with a laugh. “I felt so ready. I felt great.” Even in defeat, she called sharing the cage with Rousey “a victory” and acknowledged that returning after 17 years away was significant on its own.
The matchup had already become one of the year’s biggest crossover combat sports events before the opening bell. Netflix heavily promoted the card, which also featured appearances by Francis Ngannou, Nate Diaz, and Mike Perry. Jake Paul’s MVP positioned the event as a direct challenge to the UFC’s dominance, with Rousey openly criticizing the promotion’s current state during the build-up.
Rousey previously said she attempted to make the comeback under the UFC banner before eventually partnering with MVP and Netflix instead. After the fight, Paul made it clear that the company intends to stay in the MMA business. “You will definitely see more MMA,” he said. “MVP is just getting warmed up.”
