Rousey vs. Carano smashes records, peaks at 17 million Netflix viewers
“Rowdy” got her wish — and then some. The first-ever mixed martial arts (MMA) event to stream live on Netflix turned into a massive success this past weekend as former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey returned from retirement to face fellow women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano in the main event of […]
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MAY 16: Ronda Rousey celebrates after defeating Gina Carano by submission in their featherweight bout during the main card of Netflix's Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano at Intuit Dome on May 16, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix) | Getty Images for Netflix “Rowdy” got her wish — and then some.
The first-ever mixed martial arts (MMA) event to stream live on Netflix turned into a massive success this past weekend as former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey returned from retirement to face fellow women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano in the main event of MVP MMA 1. The fight itself lasted just 17 seconds, with Rousey quickly submitting Carano in front of a packed Intuit Dome crowd in Los Angeles, California. But despite the incredibly short main event, the event generated historic numbers.
According to an official press release issued on Monday, “Over 12. 4 million viewers around the world tuned in live on Netflix, with viewership peaking at almost 17 million during Rousey vs. Carano, making it one of the most-watched MMA events of all time.
” The event also shattered records in the United States. Per the release, “the triple-main card averaged 9. 3 million viewers and peaked at 11.