Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano fight: Rousey wins by submission in 17 seconds | Mixed Stories of War

Rousey won the fight with her signature headlock, which forced Carano to submit just 17 seconds into the bout.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) champion Ronda Rousey has retired after knocking out fellow fighter Gina Carano in their long-awaited fight in Los Angeles, defeating her opponent with an armbar after just 17 seconds.

After a build-up full of hype, the fight on Saturday was a tough one, with Rousey down Carano almost immediately before fighting her in the ring to end the fight.

American stars Rousey, 39, and Carano, 44, are considered two of the most popular female fighters in the history of MMA, helping to advance the sport during their fights more than a decade ago.

Carano has shown his success in the Hollywood career, appearing in several movie parts, but he has not participated in a fight since 2009 before appearing in a featherweight fight on Saturday.

Rousey, the 2008 Olympic judo bronze medalist who won the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), retired in 2016 after back-to-back losses to Amanda Nunes and Holly Holm.

The fighters were drawn back into the cage for Saturday’s card at the Intuit Dome with the promise of a huge payday where each fighter is said to earn several million dollars from the giant.

Rousey (13-2-0 MMA) earned her 10th win, returning to the cage following her exit from MMA in December 2016.

He later insisted that his return to the ring was permanent and denied that he could fight again after paying tribute to Carano.

“Gina is the only person who could bring me back to MMA – she’s my hero,” Rousey said. “He changed my world, and we changed the world, and I will never forget that or repay him enough.

“I’m glad we got to share this moment with them.”

When asked about extending her comeback, Rousey added, “There’s no way I could have ended it better than this. I want to have more kids, I have to cook.”

Carano (7-2-0 MMA) had been out of action since August 2009, returning to MMA after negotiations last year on Rousey’s promotion. He admitted that the fight went too fast for him, and regretted what he had done in a moment.

“I feel good,” Carano said after the loss. “I wanted to fight, and I didn’t get that. But he trained. He had his game plan. I love and respect him, and this was a victory in my life. He changed it. I woke up at 3 o’clock every morning thinking about him. I started to love mixed martial arts again. My way.”

“I wanted it to last longer – I felt like I was ready, I felt good,” he said. But I haven’t been here for 17 years. I wanted to beat him.

Carano, 44, is unsure if he will return to MMA, leaving the door open.

He added that just preparing for his comeback – he revealed before the fight that he had lost more than 100 pounds (45kg) in the two years leading up to the competition – was a victory.

“Right now, just entering the cage was a victory; getting here after 17 years was a victory. Fighting another legend was a victory.”