Ronda Rousey reflects on MMA retirement with emotional social media post after Gina Carano fight

On Saturday, May. 16, 2026, Ronda Rousey defeated Gina Carano in under 20 seconds. Hosted by Jake Paul’s MVP and streamed live on Netflix, the fight featured both veterans’ MMA returns.

However, while Carano wishes to fight again following her Rousey bout, “The Rowdy One” is no longer interested in fighting and wishes to retire and have more children. Just days after her victory over Carano, Rousey penned an emotional note on Instagram and reflected on the fight.

“I’ve been putting off this post-fight post because I think I’ve been procrastinating admitting that it’s really over. 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,” she wrote.

The UFC Hall of Famer further opened up and claimed that the fight was a story they could tell together. “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**k 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 — and got the deal done ourselves.”

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Ronda Rousey shares a detailed statement following her Gina Carano victory

In the same social media video Rousey posted, she opened up more in detail about her fight, victory, and her legacy. “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.”

The former WWE star conveyed her happiness about returning to MMA and training with her coaches, concluding by expressing her gratitude to Carano. “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.”

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