Ronda Rousey (left) secured her 10th career victory by armbar submission.
Ronda Rousey delivered a nostalgic performance, submitting Gina Carano with her signature armbar within the first 15 seconds of their highly anticipated comeback bout.
Rousey, 39, displayed no signs of ring rust after a decade-long absence from MMA, securing the type of decisive victory that propelled her to global superstardom.
The win marks the former UFC bantamweight champion’s 13th in 15 fights, with 10 of those victories achieved via armbar submission.
Leading up to the event, Rousey expressed her desire to “rewrite her ending in the sport” and could not have envisioned a more fitting final chapter than a match against her “hero”.
“Gina is the person who brought me into MMA; she is the only person who could bring me back into MMA. She’s my hero,” Rousey stated.
“She brought me back home when no one else could, and she showed me where my home was. You changed my world, and we changed the world. I could never repay you enough.”
Rousey confirmed that the event at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, presented by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and notably the first MMA show to air on Netflix, would be her last, effectively ruling out any future fights.
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Rousey is recognized as a trailblazer and one of the most significant figures in MMA history, having been the first woman signed to the UFC in 2012. Her dominant reign as bantamweight champion included a then-record six title defenses.
However, her MMA career concluded on a disappointing note with defeats against Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes before her retirement in 2016.
Carano played a pivotal role in opening doors for women’s MMA when she became the first woman to headline a major event alongside Cris Cyborg in 2009, stating that the contest “saved her life” after grappling with physical and mental health challenges.
Given Carano’s 17-year hiatus from the sport, critics questioned the competitiveness of the bout. While their scepticism proved justified concerning the 44-year-old’s performance, Rousey rose to the occasion with a vintage display.
Carano entered the cage to cheers from the fans, while Rousey was welcomed “home” by the announcer as she made her walkout with trademark intensity.
Rousey retired from the UFC in 2016 due to repeated concussions, and her aggressive fight style, focused on early finishes, was deliberately designed to minimize head trauma.
She described it as the “most efficient fighting style that ever existed,” and when it yields results like it did against Carano, few can argue with her assessment.
As soon as the bell rang, Rousey initiated a takedown before seamlessly transitioning into an armbar, forcing Carano to submit.
“I was hoping to come out as unscathed as possible because I didn’t want to hurt her. Luckily, it was beautiful martial arts; that is what it is, it’s an art,” said Rousey.
Carano, who suffered the second defeat of her nine-fight career, immediately rose to her feet in laughter, before the pair shared an emotional embrace.
“There is no way I could have ended it better than this. I want to have some more babies, and I have to get cooking,” added Rousey.
Jake Paul (centre) has competed 14 times as a professional boxer.
Rousey has described the event as a potentially transformative moment for MMA, with the potential to challenge the UFC’s dominance if regular events are held under the MVP banner.
In an interview with BBC Sport before the fight, Rousey stated she “would not be here if the UFC paid their fighters better”.
Rousey has been critical of the UFC’s fighter pay, suggesting she wanted the MVP-Netflix partnership to provide an alternative for fighters.
During the broadcast, former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, working as a pundit, also highlighted the restrictions of UFC contracts, stating that a bout with Francis Ngannou is unlikely due to his contractual obligations, despite retiring last year.
The UFC has been a recurring topic during fight week, and the organization appeared to take notice by announcing Conor McGregor’s bout against Max Holloway during the broadcast.
McGregor, one of the biggest MMA stars of all time, announcing his return after a five-year absence, means the story will compete with Rousey’s headlines in the media.
It also points to the UFC taking notice.
“That just shows how pressed there are. Little insecure boys trying to piggyback off our event and try to put some news over top of us – not going to work,” Paul said.
“Dana White, all of you – be prepared, because this is the takeover.”
In the UFC, under 20% of revenue goes to fighter pay, while in boxing, fighters can expect to receive as much as 60% of event revenue.
Disclosed fight purses show every fighter on the card got a minimum £28,800 ($40,000), while Rousey collected £1.7m and Ngannou £1.1m.
In comparison, the UFC pays about £8,960 ($12,000) to £14,900, plus performance-based bonuses, to its entry-level fighters.
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