Gina Carano’s long-awaited MMA return ended in just 17 seconds on Saturday, as Ronda Rousey submitted her by armbar at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
The bout marked Carano’s first MMA fight since 2009, closing a 17-year gap in competition. Facing UFC Hall of Famer Rousey under the UFC banner, the 44-year-old dropped 100 pounds to make her comeback.
"I wanted that to last longer," Carano said afterward. "I felt like I was so ready. I felt so good. I've never felt that good, but I haven't been here for 17 years. I wanted to hit her. ... I'll probably feel (unfulfilled) later, but right now getting in the cage was a victory. Getting here after 17 years was a victory. Fighting a legend was a victory, and I feel great. I feel like I just wanted to fight, and I didn't get that."
Carano highlighted what the camp and the matchup with Rousey meant to her beyond the result. "She trained, she had her game plan, and I have so much love and respect for her. This was a victory in my life. She changed it. I woke up every morning at 3 a.m. thinking about her. I took 100 pounds off of my body, which is going to give me a longer life. I fell back in love with mixed martial arts. There's so many good things to think about here. It's just the fight didn't go my way."
When asked if she would fight again in MMA, Carano responded, "I don't know," noting the toll of the layoff and her age. "I think 17 years was a lot. I think being 44 was a lot. I don't think I can put my family back through that. But I'm going to go look at this. I didn't get anything out. I didn't get to do anything in this fight. You just never know with me. I should've got matched up with a striker. I wanted to get some of that out."
Carano indicated she may return to the entertainment industry following the bout.
