Much has been said about the relevance of Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano in 2026, but when they threw down at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Saturday, at least their star power was not in question.
In a card that rivaled some of the UFC’s PPVs this year, Rousey, who last fought in 2016, and Carano, absent from MMA since 2009, collided in a featherweight match-up that would likely serve as the final chapter in both women’s fighting career.
Ronda Rousey immediately secured a takedown on Saturday, with Carano looking to defend with a guillotine. When that didn’t happen, Rousey moved to mount, set up the arm-bar, and locked it in, forcing the tap.
The entire affair was over in mere seconds, and was a bit anti-climatic, if very expected. On a night that saw a brilliant fight between Adriano Moraes and Phumi Nkuta, and a stunning North American debut by French star Salahdine Parnasse, Rousey vs. Carano itself was a bit of a dud, but also what you had to expect given Gina Carano had dropped 100 pounds for the fight, and hadn’t fought in over 15 years.
Neither woman is likely to carry on in combat sports. Carano has a shot at resurrecting her acting career, while Rousey has stated that she wanted to carry on building a family with partner Travis Browne. Yet for one night, they brought eyeballs to the rest of the MVP MMA card, with the entire card having a big-event feel.
Whether the sport continues on Netflix remains to be seen. If it does, it’s another big option for fighters outside the UFC.
Official Result: Rounda Rousey def. Gina Carano by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 0:17