Ronda Rousey’s UFC comeback lasted less than a minute as women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes comfortably beat her to retain her belt.
Former champion Rousey, entering the cage for the first time since her defeat by Holly Holm last year, failed to land a significant punch as the Brazilian landed blow after blow to her face.
Rousey, who made a reported $3m (£2.4m) for the fight, looked stunned by the ferocity and strength of Nunes’ punches, with her face showing damage inside 30 seconds.
Nunes, making her first title defence since winning the championship at UFC 200, shrugged off Rousey’s few attempts at striking to continue finding her opponent with heavy blows.
With just 48 seconds on the clock, referee Herb Dean stepped in to wave off the fight.
“Thank you Ronda Rousey, but I’m the champion and I’m here to stay,” said Nunes afterwards. “Nobody’s going to take this belt from me.”
The result leaves questions over Rousey’s future in the sport after she admitted in the build-up to UFC 207 she only planned to fight a few more times. (BBC Sport)
