Gina Carano is not fully satisfied with her MMA comeback experience, even if the positives exceed the negatives.
Carano (7-2) stepped into the cage for the first time since 2009 on Saturday when she took on UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey (13-2) at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. It didn’t last long, though, as Carano was submitted in a mere 17 seconds, failing to achieve a single piece of offense before Rousey made her tap to an armbar.
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Although many of Rousey’s past opponents have experienced a nearly identical fate, Carano said she craved more from the moment. She was still smiling afterward, however, and that’s because her physical transformation leading into the fight was such a significant milestone.
“I wanted that to last longer,” Carano said in her post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani. “I felt like I was so ready. I felt so good. I’ve never felt that good, but I haven’t been here for 17 years. I wanted to hit her. … I’ll probably feel (unfulfilled) later, but right now getting in the cage was a victory. Getting here after 17 years was a victory. Fighting a legend was a victory, and I feel great. I feel like I just wanted to fight, and I didn’t get that.
“She trained, she had her game plan, and I have so much love and respect for her. This was a victory in my life. She changed it. I woke up every morning at 3 a.m. thinking about her. I took 100 pounds off of my body, which is going to give me a longer life. I fell back in love with mixed martial arts. There’s so many good things to think about here. It’s just the fight didn’t go my way.”
In the immediate aftermath of the fight, Carano said she is not certain what her future holds. The 44-year-old could return to the entertainment industry after having her once-soured reputation restored in the eyes of many through this process.
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Carano did not completely close the door in accepting another MMA fight, but it was not a decision she could clearly state before leaving the cage.
“I don’t know,” Carano said. “I think 17 years was a lot. I think being 44 was a lot. I don’t think I can put my family back through that. But I’m going to go look at this. I didn’t get anything out. I didn’t get to do anything in this fight. You just never know with me. I should’ve got matched up with a striker. I wanted to get some of that out.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Gina Carano: 17-second Ronda Rousey loss ‘was a victory in my life’
