MMA analyst Luke Thomas did not hold back while breaking down why Ronda Rousey submitted Gina Carano in just 17 seconds at MVP MMA 1 on Netflix. According to Thomas, the result came down to one glaring factor: the massive difference in grappling ability between the two.
Explaining in a recent video how the matchup looked from a technical standpoint, Thomas compared it to an experienced black belt facing a complete beginner.
“She bulldozes right through her like a black belt going up against a white belt,” he said. “That’s exactly what it looked like. Gina looked like a fish completely out of water.”
Thomas made it clear he believed Carano’s lack of ground experience left her with virtually no chance once the bout hit the mat.
“Gina’s ground game sucks,” he said. “Obviously, her ground game’s terrible. Obviously, against somebody who’s a world-class judoka or was a world-class judoka, this seems improbable.”
He also dismissed claims from viewers who suggested the fight may have been staged, arguing that those reactions ignored the reality of elite-level grappling.
Thomas said, “Gina made white belt mistakes because she’s a white belt.”
To explain just how big the gap can feel between recreational grapplers and world-class athletes, Thomas reflected on his own experience training with an Olympic-level judoka.
“If you train and even if you’re good and maybe like a really good hobbyist, you win local tournaments, if you go up against someone world class, they’ll mess you up real bad,” he said. “Like it’s completely different. Like they get their hands on you and you can feel it immediately.”
Pointing to Rousey’s past performances, Thomas argued that the quick finish over Carano was completely consistent with what Rousey did during her prime against other elite athletes.
“She did it to Sarah McMahon, an Olympic silver medalist,” Thomas said. “Sarah McMahon was an Olympic silver medalist in wrestling and Ronda finished her off inside of a minute. How long did that last? A minute and 6 seconds.”
Breaking down the actual finish, Thomas said every step of the sequence looked effortless for the former UFC champion.
“The double leg was easy, the move to mount was easy, and the snatching of the arm, Gina’s, what are we, what are we even talking about?” he said.
For Thomas, the outcome ultimately reflected the difference between a lifelong elite combat athlete and someone who had spent nearly two decades away from the sport.
“Ronda is a world-class athlete,” he said. “A world-class athlete. Gina was just on the biggest loser.”
