Ronda Rousey is already one of the most legendary fighters in Mixed Martial Arts history, and she only added to that legacy on Saturday night, even at 39 years old.
Rousey’s fight against Gina Carano, who was making a comeback to the sport at the age of 44, headlined Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA card on Netflix. While it was a much-anticipated bout, it did not last all that long.
Just 17 seconds into the fight, Rousey submitted Carano with her signature submission, ending the fight just seconds after it started and adding to Rousey’s legacy.
“I was hoping to come out as unscathed as possible,” Rousey said of the quick finish via ESPN. “I didn’t really want to hurt her. It was beautiful martial arts, that’s what I think that was. It was art.”
39-year-old Rousey was also making a comeback to the sport after suffering knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes in 2015 and 2016, and distancing herself from MMA. Following this victory, she definitively declared that she will not fight again, allowing her to go out with a victory.
Carano was not exactly pleased at how short the fight was after she trained so hard to get in shape. She wasn’t even able to throw a single punch in the fight before Rousey submitted her.
“I wanted that to last longer,” Carano said. “I was so ready. I felt so good. I’ve never felt that good. I haven’t competed in 17 years, I wanted to hit her. But getting in here is a victory. Fighting a legend is a victory. I feel great. I just wanted to fight.”
Carano said she is unsure whether or not she will fight again, but seemed to indicate that she could be done for good, too.
“I think 17 years [off] is a lot,” she said. “[Age] 44 is a lot.”
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