Ronda Rousey Returns to the Ring with a Bang
Ronda Rousey made quite the comeback Saturday night, and no, she wasn’t on the clock. After a decade away from the sport, the MMA icon reportedly brought in $2.2 million for her match against Gina Carano at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, based on figures from the California Athletic Commission.
At 39, Rousey wasted no time, defeating Carano with her signature armbar in a mere 17 seconds. This impressive feat translates to, interestingly enough, over $129,000 for just one second of action—as if that’s not a wild thought. Plus, it was a significant moment being the first MMA card streamed on Netflix under Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions.
On the other hand, Carano, who is 44, made $1.05 million for her first fight in nearly 17 years. These figures are just what was disclosed, meaning there could have been more earnings tied to performance bonuses and other incentives. It’s worth noting the event also featured notable names like Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, and Francis Ngannou.
Reflecting on her quick victory, Rousey shared in her post-fight interview, “Yeah, I was hopeful. I didn’t want to hurt her, so I was hoping we both could come out as unscathed as possible. Fortunately, it was just a beautiful martial art. That’s what I think. That’s efficiency. It’s an art.”
Carano was a major player in the MMA scene back in the 2000s, notably becoming one of the first women to headline a significant MMA event in 2009 alongside Cris Cyborg. Unfortunately for her, Cyborg handed Carano her first defeat, prompting a shift in focus to her acting career.
As for Rousey, she burst onto the scene in Strikeforce, which later became part of the UFC. She captured the bantamweight title, winning her first six fights in the UFC, five of which happened in the first round. Remarkably, some of those victories were clocked at just 14 seconds, 16 seconds, and 34 seconds.
After losing her championship to Holly Holm in 2015 and following it up with a loss to Amanda Nunes in 2016, Rousey transitioned to WWE, and now it seems she’s back to her roots.
