Ronda Rousey returned to the cage Saturday night and needed less than a minute to finish Gina Carano in the main event of MVP MMA on Netflix.
The long-awaited matchup took place inside the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and was scheduled for five rounds, but the fight ended almost immediately after Rousey brought the action to the ground.
How did Ronda Rousey defeat Gina Carano?
The fight opened with Rousey quickly closing distance and securing a takedown. Carano briefly threatened with a guillotine choke during the scramble, but Rousey escaped and immediately transitioned into her trademark armbar submission.
Once Rousey trapped the arm and swung her leg across Carano’s chest, the finish came quickly.
Carano tapped out just 17 seconds into the opening round.
The submission instantly brought back memories of Rousey’s dominant UFC title run, where she became famous for ending fights with fast armbars before opponents could settle into the contest.
Fans react to the short main event
The quick ending immediately sparked reactions online, with many fans joking that the “full highlights” were practically the entire fight.
One viewer wrote:
“Highlight longer than fight.”
Another commented:
“Made my coffee, took one sip, looked at the TV, and the fight was already over.”
Others pointed out the stylistic matchup between the two fighters, especially considering Carano had not competed professionally in nearly two decades.
“Carano hasn’t fought in 20 years and never had much of a ground game and Rousey had good ground game.”
Some fans criticized the matchup itself, while others simply appreciated seeing two major names from women’s MMA history share the cage again.
Will Ronda Rousey fight again?
Following the victory, Rousey was asked during her post-fight interview whether fans could expect another return in the future.
Laughing, Rousey joked:
“I gotta have some more babies and get that cooking.”
While it remains unclear whether Saturday night was a one-time appearance or the beginning of another run, the former UFC champion once again proved how dangerous her grappling still is whenever a fight hits the mat.
Even after years away from competition, Rousey’s signature armbar remains one of the fastest weapons in MMA history.
