Why Ronda Rousey is retiring again after defeating Gina Carano in 15 seconds

In a double comeback, Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano made history last night (16 May).

Their fight marked the first MMA event to be shown live on Netflix with the champ claiming it would also set a new purse record for female fighters.

Carano lost an incredible 100lbs in preparation for the bout but ultimately lost to the fellow American within 15 seconds.

Rousey was returning from 10 years out of fighting as she secured the win with her trademark armbar.

Her opponent had been out for a whopping 17 years, and the iconic pair hugged and shared warm exchanges afterwards. Carano may not be sure on what the future holds, but Rousey has made it clear that was her final fight as she explained why.

Rousey took the victory thanks to an armbar. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix)

Rousey wanted to come out of the bout ‘as unscathed as possible’, having left the sport a decade ago after consecutive losses and repeated concussions.

She was one of the world’s most famous athletes in her prime, having won the first women’s title in the UFC.

During her time away, she settled into a life on her farm and had two children.

And in the build-up she said she wanted to ‘rewrite her ending in the sport’, with no one better to do that with than her ‘hero’ Carano.

After the victory, Rousey repeated the message she’d been sharing through the week about it being her final fight as she said: “There is no way I could have ended it better than this. I want to have some more babies and I have to get cooking.”

She had also said on the stage during the weigh-in: “I’m having some babies after this,” having promised her husband it was ‘one and done’.

Rousey confirmed the retirement immediately after winning, as the victory moved her to 13-2 lifetime and have her a clean exit.

It was all smiles as Rousey celebrated her final fight. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix)

It’s thought she may stay in the sport in some way though as she has publicly aligned herself with Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian’s Most Valuable Productions (MVP).

So, she’s got a bit of a path set up for her, if she chooses to take it, in matchmaking, promotion and on-camera analyst work.

Having wanted Carano to make a comeback and to fight her, Rousey said: "She brought me back home when no-one else could, and she showed me where my home was. You changed my world, and we changed the world. I could never be able to pay you back enough."