Moments before Ronda Rousey entered the cage to face Gina Carano, WWE star CM Punk gave his bold prediction for the fight, picking Rousey to win.
“She’s gonna march forward, she’s gonna clinch, she’s gonna throw, and she’s gonna armbar,” said Punk.
In nearly the same time it took Punk to utter that sentence, Rousey did exactly that. The former UFC and WWE women’s champion stormed out of the corner, took Carano down within seconds, mounted her, landed a flurry of strikes, and finished the fight with an armbar
in 17 seconds.
After the fight, the two pioneers of women’s MMA hugged, with Rousey revealing what she told Carano during their embrace.
“I said she’s my fucking hero, and just thank you for everything, and thank you for bringing me back home,” Rousey said in a post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani.
MVP MMA: Main Card Results (full card results here)
Robelis Despaigne def. Junior dos Santos, first-round KO (2:59)
Salahdine Parnasse def. Kenneth Cross, first-round TKO (4:18)
Francis Ngannou def. Philipe Lins, first-round KO (4:31)
Mike Perry def. Nate Diaz, second-round TKO — referee stoppage (5:00)
Ronda Rousey def. Gina Carano, first-round submission —armbar (0:17)
Saturday’s win marked Rousey’s first fight since back-to-back losses in the UFC, including her final appearance at UFC 207 in December 2016, when Amanda Nunes knocked her out in 48 seconds.
Entering the cage on Saturday night, Rousey looked like her old self. She came out to Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ “Bad Reputation,” wearing the same intense scowl that defined her combat sports career. While Carano smiled during introductions, Rousey remained focused, carrying herself as if the result was a foregone conclusion.
As for whether she will fight again, Rousey seemed determined to call it a career.
“There’s no way I could’ve ended it better than this. I want to make some more babies,” Rousey said.
Earlier in the night, MVP MMA CEO and cofounder Nakisa Bidarian said the promotion would explore future opportunities with Rousey, whether as a fighter or ambassador, as it continues to grow in MMA.
