Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano was the highlight of the first-ever MMA event broadcast live on Netflix, and it delivered a stunning finish as the UFC Hall of Famer needed just 17 seconds to submit fellow pioneer Gina Carano with her signature armbar.
Both Rousey and Carano are considered pioneers of women’s MMA, but while Rousey had not fought in a decade, Carano was making her return after 17 years away from competition. With so much anticipation surrounding the matchup, the lightning-fast finish drew mixed reactions across the sports world.
Ronda Rousey’s 17-Second Victory Draws Mixed Reactions From NFL Personalities
Rousey entered the bout with a 12-2 record and looked every bit like her vintage self. The former Bantamweight champion charged forward immediately after the opening bell, quickly taking Carano to the mat before mounting her and unleashing a flurry of ground-and-pound strikes.
The 39-year-old then locked in the armbar, and it took little time for the 44-year-old Carano to tap out, leaving many stunned, including legendary NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson.
“Rousey got to that arm bar fast as hell… 💭,” he wrote.
Rousey got to that arm bar fast as hell… 💭
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) May 17, 2026
“Ronda Rousey packed ole girl up before she even got two swings in. Tough,” added The Atlantic writer Jemele Hill.
Ronda Rousey packed ole girl up before she even got two swings in. Tough.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) May 17, 2026
Three-time Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe was also impressed.
“Damn… Dat was quick,” he wrote.
Damn… Dat was quick.😳😳😳😳😳😳😳
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) May 17, 2026
“Dog I’m crying,” wrote sports commentator Ahmed.
“If this was really her last fight, Ronda Rousey really goes down as the 🐐 of women’s MMA,” noted legendary NFL running back Le’Veon Bell.
if this was really her last fight, Ronda Rousey really goes down as the 🐐 of women’s MMA https://t.co/zfCDHWPwxt
— Le’Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) May 17, 2026
It indeed marked the final fight of Rousey’s career, as she confirmed her second retirement following the victory.
“There’s no way I could’ve ended it better than this,” Rousey said inside Inglewood’s Intuit Dome. “I want to have some more babies, and I’ve got to get cooking.”
However, not everyone was pleased with the fight lasting only 17 seconds.
“I can’t believe I talked myself into believing this Ronda Rousey fight would be worth a s**t. What a waste of time,” wrote Barstool’s Kayce Smith.
I can’t believe I talked myself into believing this Ronda Rousey fight would be worth a shit. What a waste of time.
— Kayce Smith (@KayceSmith) May 17, 2026
“Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight was an absolute joke, as expected. Took them longer to touch gloves,” added college sports reporter Trey Wallace.
“I would be so immensely sick if I just paid that much money to watch Ronda Rousey end it in 10 seconds 😭,” Bucs Wire reporter Ashlie wrote.
Meanwhile, former NFL All-Pro Shawn Merriman argued that “MMA was just set back 10 years.”
MMA just was just set back 10 years
— Shawne Merriman (@shawnemerriman) May 17, 2026
Rousey was later asked whether she ever considered extending the fight rather than finishing it so quickly. She laughed at the idea.
“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.”
Rousey rose to fame during the 2010s after winning an Olympic bronze medal, capturing the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title, and successfully defending her UFC bantamweight championship six straight times between 2013 and 2015, becoming one of the most recognizable female athletes in the world.
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With the MMA icon returning after more than a decade away, it is hardly surprising that some fans were disappointed by such a short fight. But once the bell rings, a fighter’s only goal is victory, and Rousey accomplished that in dominant fashion to sign off on her legendary career.
