There was widespread disappointment when Ronda Rousey submitted Gina Carano in just 17 seconds on Saturday.
The bout carried enormous hype. It marked Netflix’s first MMA broadcast in partnership with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. Carano didn’t land a punch, and the fight ended before some viewers had fully settled in.
Critics called the finish cheap, staged and anticlimactic.
And yet, the fight unfolded exactly as it should have. It was a reminder of exactly who Ronda Rousey was at the peak of her prowess.
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The truly disappointing outcome would’ve been had Rousey struggled to put Carano away.
A quick submission via her trademark arm bar was vintage. During Rousey’s prime, arguably the most dominant stretch in women’s MMA history, her fights often looked exactly like that.
She knocked out Alexis Davis in 16 seconds at UFC 175 in 2014. She submitted Cat Zingano with an arm bar in 14 seconds at UFC 184. Both fights ended faster than Saturday’s bout against Carano.
In a bit of an upset, Bethe Correia lasted a full 34 seconds before Rousey knocked her out at UFC 190.
On Saturday, Rousey closed her MMA career the same way she built it, by overwhelming opponents almost immediately.
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Casual viewers often see quick finishes as unsatisfying. Dedicated fight fans see them as the purest expression of dominance. Boxing fans reacted the same way when Mike Tyson tore through opponents in the first round during the 1980s.
Casual fans wouldn’t have enjoyed a slower fight, in which Rousey showed ring rust and needed the judges to escape with a win over Carano. Put simply, the most criticized UFC fights are often the most technical, with little action or damage exchanged.
The only fans with legitimate gripes are Gina Carano supporters, those who believed she could pull off the upset. But at 44 years old and 17 years removed from her last MMA fight, a quick submission was always a realistic possibility.
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It’s also worth remembering the fight streamed on Netflix, not pay-per-view. Rousey’s previous fights often cost fans at least $50.
Ultimately, the fight delivered exactly what it was supposed to deliver. Regardless of the level of competition, seeing Rousey lock in the arm bar one final time before retirement was a fitting ending to her career.
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