Ronda Rousey’s return draws US-record MMA viewership

Ronda Rousey, of the United States, center, celebrates after defeating Gina Carano, of the United States, left, in their featherweight mixed martial arts fight Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong )

LOS ANGELES— The first live MMA event broadcast on Netflix — featuring a double-comeback bout between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano — attracted the most U.S. viewers in the sport’s history.

Netflix and Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions reported on Tuesday that Saturday’s event in Inglewood, California, drew as many as 17 million viewers worldwide, including a peak of 11.6 million in the U.S.

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The U.S. figure surpassed the previous MMA record of 8.8 million in 2011 for UFC on FOX 1.

The 39-year-old Rousey, performing in a mixed martial arts cage for the first time in nearly a decade, defeated the 44-year-old Carano with her signature armbar move just 17 seconds into the bout. Carano was fighting for the first time in 17 years.

Other featured bouts at the Intuit Dome on Saturday included a fight between UFC veterans Mike Perry and Nate Diaz. Perry won the welterweight matchup on a doctor’s stoppage after bloodying Diaz.

In another bout, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou knocked out Philipe Lins in the first round.