Mixed Martial Arts-Rousey's return against Carano draws record US audience on Netflix

Netflix's debut live Mixed Martial Arts broadcast, featuring Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano's comeback, had a peak viewership of nearly 17 million, the streaming company reported on Tuesday.

• The event running under the banner of Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotion in Inglewood, California, peaked ​at 11.6 million viewers in the U.S., while the card averaged ​9.3 million, surpassing the previous record of 8.8 million set in 2011 for UFC on Fox 1.

• Rousey's return after a decade away from the cage gave fans in attendance and viewers worldwide only a quick glimpse of the 39-year-old in action with a 17-second win over Carano, nailing her signature armbar submission before quitting the sport for good.

• The Olympics judo medallist and former WWE star was the UFC's first female bantamweight champion and first woman inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

• Rousey took on the 44-year-old Carano, who hadn't fought in 17 years since a 2009 loss to Cris Cyborg, and is now better known as an actor.

(Reporting by Paras J. Haji in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 12:26 AM.