Saturday 31 December 2016 12:44, UK
Ronda Rousey's hopes of reclaiming her UFC bantamweight title were blown away in 48 seconds by Amanda Nunes in Las Vegas on Friday.
The 29-year-old from Los Angeles had not fought in over a year since she was pummelled by Holly Holm as she went into seclusion and kept a low profile in the build-up to the Nunes fight by declining interviews.
Rousey, a former Olympic judo medalist, is one of MMA's biggest stars and has helped widen the sport's global appeal but she looked off the pace as Brazil's Nunes exploded into action with a flurry of big punches.
Stunned early on, Rousey had no answer to the power and boxing skills of the 28-year-old and referee Herb Dean quickly stepped in to stop the fight after just 48 seconds as Rousey was stung again and could no longer defend herself.
Rousey left the octagon immediately following the official decision, making no comment to the media.
On her vanquished opponent, Nunes, the winner of five straight fights, said: "She did a lot for the sport - she was the champion, but now I am the champion.
"She's going to retire and go to movies and make a lot of money now. You have lots of talent in this division. Forget about Ronda Rousey."
The defeat could signal the end of the road for the Californian, who lost her title just over 12 months ago by Holm's head kick in the main event at UFC 193 in Melbourne.
Holm then lost to Miesha Tate in her first defence in March, and Tate did little better, turning over the belt to Nunes at UFC 200 in July.
Although her shut-down in the build-up to Friday's comeback fight did not go down well with some fighters and fans, few can dispute her achievements in the sport. She was the first female bantamweight champion in the UFC and successfully defended her title six times before succumbing to Holm.
Her stature as one of the biggest draws in mixed martial arts saw her get a $3m purse for Friday's fight, plus an undisclosed share of the pay-per-view revenues.
In contrast, Nunes was paid $100,000 to show and another $100,000 as a win bonus for her first title defence, apart from an undisclosed share of pay per view revenues.
In the co-main event, challenger Cody Garbrandt scored a thrilling unanimous decision victory over Dominick Cruz in another stunning upset to claim the men's bantamweight belt.
Cruz was sent crashing to the canvas three times in the fourth round before winning on the judges' scorecards.
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