Sport4 min(s) read
Published 12:36 18 May 2026 GMT
It's been reported that Gina Carano has earned a handsome figure for her extremely short-lived MMA fight with Ronda Rousey.
Carano, 44, faced off against Rousey, 39, in her first fight since 2009, at California’s Intuit Dome on Saturday night (May 16).
While the fight only lasted 17 seconds before Rousey successfully submitted her opponent with an armbar, her signature move.
Rousey said she wanted to 'rewrite her ending in the sport', and called Carano her 'hero' after her victory, which came 10 years after her last match-up.
The mixed martial arts event was also the first to be promoted by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions brand.
But just how much did these two legends and pioneers of the sport earn as a result of their high-profile bout?
The 17-second fight may have been an anti-climax for many combat sports fans, but it has left the MMA legend seven figures richer.
According to Forbes, the Netflix-streamed event left both women earning over $1 million, each.
Rousey earned a reported $2.2 million, and Carano took home a more modest $1.05 million, which might help to make the result that bit more bearable.
However, this figure doesn't include total earnings from broadcast, ticket sales or bonuses, so the fighters could be looking at a far higher figure.
Unfortunately, this number is unknown at the moment.
The double comeback fight was a sight to behold for MMA fans who were following the sport in the 2000s and 2010s, with the fighters not shy of showing admiration for one another.
Rousey had become one of the world's most well-known athletes after winning the first women's title in the UFC, but admitted she looked up to Carano, saying: "Gina is a person who brought me into MMA, she is the only person who could bring me back into MMA. She's my hero."
Speaking about the fight, she added: “I was hoping to come out as unscathed as possible,
“I didn’t really want to hurt her. Luckily it was beautiful martial arts, that’s what I think that was. It was art.”
After wrenching Carano's arm in the opening seconds, the fight was stopped, and while fans thought it could mark a proper return, her response to being asked if she wanted the fight to last longer shut that all down.
“Hell no,” she said. “My husband and my kids are watching me. I don’t want to put them through anything more than I have to.”
“There's no way I could have ended it better than this. I want to have some more babies, got to get cooking,” Rousey said.
Rousey emerged victorious in less than a minute across eight fights during her MMA career.
She spoke before the fight, saying they would set a new record for female fighters: "I've already won a record eight consecutive title fights, there's nothing left for me to do in UFC,” she told BBC.
"So now me and Gina are smashing the record for the most women have been paid in combat sports."
Carano was all smiles despite the loss, explaining: “I wanted that to last longer,
“I felt so ready. I’ve never felt that good. But I haven’t been here for 17 years … and I wanted to hit her.”
Both Carano and Rousey have been suspended from fighting after the match-up, though this is actually standard practice.
It should come as no surprise that combat sports can have a massive effect on an athlete's body, with it taking several blows in both training and competing.
This can result in severe injuries, which include broken ribs, eye injuries, and trauma to the head - so it's protocol for athletes to be barred from fighting following a bout.
It allows for proper recovery, and it's why Rousey is also banned.
This mandatory rest period means that you can spend a sufficient amount of time recovering before competing again, despite what the athlete may feel like they're ready for.
As for the length at which someone is suspended, there are numerous different factors, with the opinion of an on-site physician paramount to the decision.
Some fighters may only be suspended for a week, while others may need to check some boxes to be cleared as fit enough to compete.
