SportsRonda Rousey Dominates Return, Still Disses Holly Holm Rematch Talk
Ronda Rousey stepped back into the combat sports arena after nearly a decade, delivering a knockout performance that lasted mere seconds. The former UFC champion headlined MVP MMA 1, the debut event from Most Valuable Promotions, held on May 16, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Her opponent was Gina Carano, a fellow pioneer in women's combat sports, who was also making a return after an absence of almost 17 years. Rousey wasted no time, securing a decisive victory via her signature armbar in just 17 seconds, a dominant display that reminded fans of her previous reign.
Immediately after her swift win, Rousey declared her fighting career over, stating unequivocally that she would not be competing again. However, in subsequent media appearances, the conversation quickly turned to her historic rival, Holly Holm. Despite her declared retirement, Rousey spent considerable time detailing how she believed a rematch with Holm would play out, asserting, "I said I'm retired, A, and B, I think that I'm a completely different fighter now, and I would clean her clock."
Rousey attributed her renewed confidence and perceived improvement to a recent medical diagnosis of cortical spreading depression. She explained that this neurological condition, which she now treats with medication, had affected her during the latter stages of her initial fighting career. She previously believed her concussions were catching up to her, but the new medication, according to Rousey, has resolved the issue entirely. She cited an incident during the Carano fight where she "spiked my head into the mat," which in the past would have triggered her symptoms, but it "didn't come back at all," indicating the medication worked "perfectly in a live situation." Even with this conviction that she could now "clean her clock and rewrite all of that," Rousey maintained that a rematch with Holm was "no longer important to me anymore. It doesn't haunt me," adding, "I know how good I am, and my kids need me in their lives."
