She said in a social media post on Monday that it was one of the “best rides of my life” but also “very humbling.”
WASHINGTON — Gina Carano posted her first comments on Monday since her mixed martial arts fight with Ronda Rousey, explaining why she lost in just 17 seconds.
Rousey stopped Carano with her signature armbar only seconds into the two iconic fighters’ double comeback bout Saturday night. Rousey (13-2) didn’t waste an instant after the opening bell, immediately charging and tackling Carano. Rousey moved into position and applied her famous finishing move, wrenching Carano’s arm as the fight was stopped.
Carano, who hadn’t fought in 17 years, was all smiles even after the swift end to one of the longest layoffs in pro sports history. Carano and Rousey, who was returning to the mixed martial arts cage after 9 1/2 years away, hugged and shared warm words after the finish, raising each other’s arms in victory.
On Monday, Carano explained why the fight ended almost before it had started.
“My heart is heavy,” she wrote on Instagram. “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.”
She wrote about the difficulties from her training: “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 100lbs. Every week the pressure of how to get that little bit off. I learned a little late how to do it healthier but trial by fire.”
Carano went on to praise Rousey, saying they “made history, again.”
“I’m so glad the world got to experience this version of @rondarousey,” she wrote. “I found a beautiful woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister and legend. I adore you lady.”
The show at Intuit Dome was the first live MMA event on Netflix, which is moving steadily into combat sports.
Rousey became one of the world’s most famous athletes as she won the first women’s title in the UFC, which only began to promote women’s MMA because of Rousey’s undeniable talent and star power.
Rousey first became interested in MMA because of Carano, whose athleticism and star power made her into a television headliner when the nascent sport was still fighting for legitimacy and acceptance in the late 2000s.
Rousey left the sport after consecutive losses, while Carano moved on to an acting career after taking her first loss.
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