Ronda Rousey says her MMA farewell is real after submitting Gina Carano in 17 seconds at MVP MMA 1 on Netflix.
Rousey released a lengthy Instagram statement after the win, saying she had delayed writing it because she was still processing the end of her fighting career. The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion and 2008 Olympic judo bronze medalist returned for one fight, got her signature armbar, and moved to 13-2 in MMA. Carano, who fought for the first time since 2009, fell to 7-2.
Rousey opened the statement by admitting the finality of the night had been hard to put into words.
I’ve been putting off this post-fight post because I think I’ve been procrastinating admitting that it’s really over.
Read Rousey’s full Instagram post below:
Rousey Says Gina Carano Gave Her A Reason To Face MMA Again
Rousey tied the comeback directly to Carano, one of women’s MMA’s first major stars from the EliteXC and Strikeforce era. Carano previously said after the fight that if she had not tapped, Rousey would have broken her arm, and Rousey’s new statement explained why that matchup mattered enough to pull her back into camp.
This fight, the year and a half of training that went into it, and even the promotion was more fulfilling than I ever could have imagined. At nine months pregnant, when I saw Gina experiencing a low similar to what I endured – I KNEW she had it in her to pull herself out of it.
And just like when I saw her fight for the first time I thought, ‘Well, if she can do it, I can, too.’ Pro wrestling helped me move on from my past in MMA, but Gina is the one who gave me a reason to confront it.
Me and Gina literally fought to fight each other. I kept hearing people say, ‘She’s not serious.’ ‘She can’t lose the weight,’ but I didn’t just want to come back to fight, I HAD to come back to fight HER.
The story we could tell together was one I desperately needed to believe. That you’re never too low to rise again, that your body is never too far gone to reclaim, and that it’s never too late to be better than you’ve ever been.
When there were a few hiccups at the finish line getting her contract done I just said, ‘F*ck it, let’s meet up’ and we hammered out all the issues together over a bottle of wine (well, actually, she had martinis, I smoked a blunt and had the wine – don’t worry, we had designated drivers) and got the deal done ourselves.
Her bravery astounded me, at her lowest point she set her highest goal – to lose 100 pounds and take on the baddest bitch on the planet!
What I never could have expected was seeing how that woman transformed over the following year would give me just as much joy as my own transformation. Every time I saw her she was stronger, more confident, more beautiful than ever – not because she was losing weight but because that light she had lost was growing brighter and brighter.
At the same time I was peeling back the layers of my own walls I’d put up and rediscovering a world that was so ingrained in the fabric of my soul but was too proud to admit I needed. I love MMA, I love judo, pro wrestling, fight choreography, acting, and writing – but I am before anything else a martial artist. I’m better at MMA than I ever was at anything else – And f*ck who this may offend, but I am the best to have ever done it and nothing can compare to the experience of creating within my craft.
I am the one fortunate enough to experience that level of mastery and I’ll never let anyone shame me away from embracing it ever again.
The joy of being in this camp and falling back into my skill again and seeing the shock on the faces of my coaches and training partners watching me create shit no one’s ever seen on the spot, watching me tap out some of the best in the world up to five times a round during sparring, having people to teach who can teach me and exchange that knowledge with almost childlike enthusiasm was incomparable. It healed my soul.
Then there was the process of putting this card together. Nakisa was a believer, a partner, and just a solid f*cking friend from day one. Jake gave me all his support and always treated me with the utmost respect.
My dream card was to share the top spot with Nate and Francis and due to Nakisa’s hard work and Netflix’s belief in our cause we were able to secure the funds to make it possible.
Perhaps the most touching aspect of this process was experiencing the humility of both Francis and Nate sharing the top of the card with myself and each other.
The card went from just an idea to an embodiment of hope in the sport. Watching a superstar be born in Mike Perry, seeing Philipe’s courage stepping up to the challenge (and the camaraderie of Francis giving him his performance bonus). Despaigne commanding respect returning from Karate Combat, Parnasse making a statement across the world from home, Jason Jackson’s dichotomy of exuding such warmth outside the cage and cold efficiency within it. I could go on and on, EVERY fighter deserves a mention – it felt like a night for those who were told they overvalued themselves or weren’t valuable enough were standing together and making a statement. ‘This is OUR cage. We belong here. We put it all on the line, and we deserve to be fairly compensated for it.’
The farewell came on a card loaded with familiar names. MVP MMA 1 featured seven-figure payouts, Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry, Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins, and Carano’s first fight in 17 years. Rousey also praised the people who helped build the event and the camp around it.
I can’t thank Ricky Lundell enough for getting me back on the mat, opening (and reconstructing) his home and organizing all the chaos that went into making this camp a well-oiled happiness and healing machine.
Thank you Lindsie Lundell for all the fresh milled cream wheat, weathering me invading your home and all the talks in the kitchen. Thank you A.J. Matthews for sharing your brilliance with me and all the drives up to my house so I could train close to my babies. Thank you Ryan Benoit for flying halfway across the country to let me steal your knowledge and send you home sore. Thank you Jesse Forbes for being by my side through the highest highs and lowest lows always helping me become the best I could be to the soothing sounds of monotone jokes, life advice, and rage against the patriarchy.
Thanks to my nutritionists Dan Garner and Jake, who helped make my body into a machine again. Thank you Dr. Bernick and Dr. Hailstone, who helped diagnose and treat my CSD so I could fight again. My training/sparring partners Margaret Izotov, Alexa Yanes, Pauline Macias, Lolo, Jacoby Yancy, Todd Prace, there’s too many to name but I appreciate all the body miles you gave to me.
My mom, thank you for making me simultaneously a hard bitch and a good person. My family, thank you for enduring another huge dose of anxiety on my behalf, I tried to win quickly to spare you the heart attacks. My handsome boys Kaleo and Keawe and beautiful baby girls Pā’u and Po. I love you and appreciate you more than you’ll ever know. And, of course, my everything and more, my love of my life, the man who gave me something to live for when I was at my lowest – the greatest moment of this whole experience was seeing the love on your face when you came to meet me in the cage. Sharing this life with you is the real prize.
Rousey Thanks Her Team, Family, And Gina Before Closing The Door
Rousey’s post ended with the clearest retirement language yet. After the fast win, she said she wanted to have more children and move forward with her family. Her written statement landed in the same place.
There are SO many people who contributed to making this happen that there literally isn’t enough space but than thank you to my village, I adore you all.
The fight is over, it’s bittersweet because for the first time the experience of preparing for the fight eclipsed the joy any victory could have brought. But I’m finally ready to move on, this time with my head held high.
Thank you, Gina.
The numbers around the event made the sendoff even bigger. Rousey vs. Carano reportedly peaked at 17 million global viewers, while the final three fights averaged 12.4 million viewers. Rousey leaves with the opponent she wanted, the finish everyone expected, and a cleaner ending than the one that followed her UFC exit in 2016.
