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With a combined 27 years away from active MMA competition, former UFC champion Ronda Rousey and former Strikeforce champion Gina Carano made their long-awaited returns Saturday night on the first MMA event streamed live by Netflix.
Despite a main card stacked with early finishes, the headline fight ended even faster than expected.
Rousey needed only 17 seconds to stop Carano, securing a double-leg takedown almost immediately before locking in the armbar submission that defined much of her career. The victory now stands as the third-fastest finish of Rousey’s professional run, trailing only her wins over Cat Zingano and Alexis Davis.
Purse figures released by the California State Athletic Commission listed Rousey at $2.2 million and Carano at $1.05 million before any potential bonuses or additional agreements.
After the event, Rousey praised Carano once again for helping pave the way for women’s MMA, though she maintained that another extended comeback is unlikely as she wants to focus on family life and having more children. Carano said she was disappointed the fight ended so quickly and joked that she probably should have been matched up with a striker if she decides to compete again.
The card was held at Intuit Dome near Los Angeles, where crowd shots throughout the night became a discussion point online due to the arena’s sparse-looking appearance. Some fans suggested the lighting setup inside the building may have made attendance appear lighter than it actually was.
Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano FULL MMA FIGHT#MVPNetflix #RouseyCarano pic.twitter.com/cBvy7G1Ijt
— AlAudhli 𝕏 العوذلي (@alaudhli) May 17, 2026
Main card notes and results from tonight:
-Mike Perry defeated Nate Diaz via second-round TKO after Diaz’s corner stopped the fight between rounds because of multiple cuts that led to heavy bleeding. Veteran cutman Jacob “Stitch” Duran was working Diaz’s corner.
– Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou scored another quick finish, knocking out Philipe Lins in the opening round. Post-fight discussion centered around the possibility of Ngannou facing Jon Jones, who was cageside for the event, though neither man sounded optimistic that the matchup will happen. Ngannou was also asked about a potential fight with Jake Paul, but appeared lukewarm on the idea.
– The upcoming Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway fight was also officially announced during Ngannou’s walk to the cage, drawing a major reaction from the crowd.
– Salahdine Parnasse turned in one of the stronger performances on the card with a first-round TKO victory over Kenneth Cross.
Opening the main card, Robelis Despaigne stopped former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos by first-round knockout.
