Ronda Rousey has stopped Gina Carano with her signature armbar just 17 seconds into the iconic fighters' mixed martial arts comeback bout. The 39-year-old Rousey ended a nearly 10-year absence from MMA when she took to the cage on Saturday night (Sunday AEST) with 44-year-old Carano, who hadn't fought in 17 years.
Rousey Dominates from the Opening Bell
Rousey (13-2) wasted no time when the door finally closed, charging and tackling Carano an instant after the opening bell rang. The younger fighter quickly moved into position and applied her famous finishing move, wrenching Carano's arm and prompting an early end to the fight.
"I really didn't want to hurt her," Rousey said. "Luckily it was just beautiful martial arts, that's what it is."
Rousey famously won eight fights in less than a minute during her meteoric rise through MMA in the 2010s. When asked if she considered waiting a bit longer to go for the finish in a fight so many years in the making, Rousey laughed.
"Hell no," she said. "My husband and my kids are watching me. I don't want to put them through anything more than I have to."
Carano Takes Defeat in Stride
Carano was all smiles even after the swift end to one of the longest layoffs in pro sports history. Rousey and Carano hugged and shared warm words after the finish.
"I felt so ready," Carano said. "I've never felt that good. But I haven't been here for 17 years ... and I wanted to hit her."
A Historic Clash of MMA Pioneers
This improbable double comeback bout united two of the most important fighters from MMA's past two decades. Rousey became one of the world's most famous athletes when she won the first women's title in the UFC, which only began to promote women's MMA because of Rousey's undeniable talent and drawing power.
She first became interested in MMA because of Carano, whose athleticism and star power made her into a television headliner when the nascent sport was still fighting for acceptance in the late 2000s. Rousey left the sport after consecutive losses, while Carano moved on to an acting career after taking her first loss.
After having two children and settling into post-fighting life on her farm in Riverside, Rousey seriously began to consider an MMA return last year. She immediately focused on a fight with Carano, whose acting career abruptly ended in 2021 after a series of controversial social media posts.
Rousey has repeatedly said this will be her final fight, while Carano has said she doesn't know what the future holds.
