Gina Carano finally broke her silence after suffering a quick submission loss to Ronda Rousey at MVP MMA 1.
Carano stepped back into the cage for the first time since 2009 on Saturday night, returning against one of the biggest names in women’s MMA history. While many fans hoped the former Strikeforce star could test Rousey’s grappling, the fight ended almost as soon as it started.
Rousey wasted no time closing the distance, dragging Gina Carano to the mat before locking in her trademark armbar. Just 17 seconds into the fight, Carano tapped out to avoid serious damage.
Following the loss, Gina Carano shared an emotional statement on Instagram, reflecting on the fight, the journey back to MMA, and the reality of stepping into the cage again after 17 years away.
“This was one of the best rides of my life,” Carano wrote. “I felt locked in fight night. No fear, just focused positive adrenaline. Love to my team.
“My heart is heavy. I wanted to throw, battle, win, but I kicked when I should have moved and was down and done. If I hadn’t tapped, she would’ve broken my arm, as it had begun to crackle.
“The disappointment of losing like that is very humbling.”
Despite the defeat, Gina Carano praised Rousey and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to finally share the cage with another women’s MMA pioneer.
“I’m so glad the world got to experience this version of Ronda Rousey. I found a beautiful woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister and legend. I adore you lady.
“We made history, again. I hope Most Valuable Promotions MMA and Netflix continue on because they CRUSHED it. Respect where respect is due.
“It was such a great experience. Thank you ALL for showing your support. It’s because of you we get to face our fears and live our dreams.”
Gina Carano also revealed that former UFC heavyweight champions Jon Jones and Cain Velasquez reached out to encourage her after the loss.
According to Carano, Jones reminded her just how much courage it took to return to professional MMA after nearly two decades away from the sport.
“Jon said, ‘You haven’t fought in 17 years? Do you know how big your balls have to be to get back in there after that long? Respect!’ That’s exactly what I needed to hear from the best to ever do it.”
The road back to fighting was anything but easy for Gina Carano. She revealed that she spent the last year in a brutal weight cut while trying to rebuild herself physically and mentally for competition.
“I’ve been in a caloric deficit for a year. Training felt like swimming upstream,” Carano said. “It was physically the hardest thing I’ve ever done taking the weight off while turning back into an athlete. I felt like a science experiment losing 100 pounds.”
Even with the loss, Gina Carano made it clear that she does not regret taking the fight. Instead, she described the experience as life-changing and hinted that this may not be the last time fans see her involved in combat sports.
For many fans, the fight may have ended quickly, but Gina Carano’s return still became one of the biggest talking points of MVP MMA 1 and another historic chapter in women’s MMA.
