Ronda Rousey defeats Gina Carano seconds into joint comeback match

Sports Ronda Rousey defeats Gina Carano seconds into joint comeback match May 17, 2026 / 12:05 PM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google When Ronda Rousey finally got back into a mixed martial arts cage after 9 1/2 years away from her sport, she couldn't wait even one more minute to collect another arm — and to have her own arm raised one last time.Rousey stopped Gina Carano with her signature armbar just 17 seconds into the two iconic fighters' double comeback bout Saturday night.After finishing the 44-year-old Carano with a ferocity that evoked her famous heyday, the 39-year-old Rousey reaffirmed that this was only the epilogue on her historic MMA career. She insists she is headed into retirement after ending on a dominant victory."I was hoping to come out as unscathed as possible," Rousey said. "I didn't really want to hurt her. Luckily it was beautiful martial arts, that's what I think that was. It was art."Rousey (13-2) didn't waste an instant after the opening bell, immediately charging and tackling Carano. Rousey quickly moved into position and applied her famous finishing move, wrenching Carano's arm as the fight was stopped. Gina Carano, left, lifts the arm of Ronda Rousey, after Rousey defeated Carano in their featherweight mixed martial arts fight on May 16, 2026, in California. Calif.  Jae C. Hong via AP Rousey famously won eight fights in less than a minute during her meteoric rise through MMA in the 2010s. When asked if she considered waiting a bit longer to go for the finish in this comeback fight, since it was so many years in the making, Rousey laughed."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."Carano, who hadn't fought in 17 years, was all smiles even after the swift end to one of the longest layoffs in pro sports history. Rousey and Carano hugged and shared warm words after the finish, raising each other's arms in victory. "I wanted that to last longer," Cara...