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Ronda Rousey turned back the clock after being out of the Octagon for nearly a decade.
Arguably the greatest women’s mixed martial artist ever, Rousey fought Gina Carano on Saturday after not fighting since Dec. 30, 2016, and she looked like her vintage self.
Rousey got Carano in an arm bar and earned a victory by submission just 17 seconds into the fight. It was the 13th victory of her career, and the 10th that came inside the first 70 seconds. All but one of Rousey’s victories came in the first round.
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Ronda Rousey and husband Travis Browne embrace after Rousey defeated Gina Carano in her featherweight bout during the main card of Netflix’s Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano at Intuit Dome on May 16, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix)
However, some critics say the event, run by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, was scripted. Paul is hardly a stranger to those allegations, but the ones regarding Rousey-Carano reached a new level for Paul’s business partner, Nakisa Bidarian.
“I think the Jake Paul allegations are more outlandish, honestly. With Ronda, it’s just a lack of knowledge from people who don’t know who she is or what she does,” Bidarian, who has dismissed similar allegations in the past, said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.
Ronda Rousey defeated Gina Carano by submission with a first-round armbar at the 17-second mark during their featherweight bout at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on May 16, 2026. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu)
IF THIS WAS RONDA ROUSEY’S FINAL FIGHT, FANS WITNESSED A LEGENDARY FAREWELL ON NETFLIX’S MVP CARD
“If you think about it, why would anyone in our business fix a fight to last only 17 seconds? This was reality — someone supremely prepared imposing her will.”
Simply put, Rousey came back and did “what she’s done so many times.”
“Ronda holds record-setting ticket sales for female combat athletes, and it was amazing to see her perform at that level again after so many years. I’m disappointed for Gina because she put in a lot of work but didn’t get to display her skills after falling into Ronda’s trap,” Bidarian added.
And although the critics are out after MVP’s first MMA fight, Bidarian said there is more to come.
Ronda Rousey looks on before her featherweight bout against Gina Carano during the main card of Netflix’s Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on May 16, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix)
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“MVP MMA will be back,” Bidarian said. “We are working feverishly on the future. We believe we have a special ‘fighter-first’ brand, and there is clearly a demand for more, which we are going to deliver.”
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