TLDR
- Ronda Rousey frames her May 16 Netflix fight against Gina Carano as ‘MVP versus UFC’ competition
- Rousey accuses UFC of treating class-action lawsuits as routine business expenses
- Former champion says UFC refused to offer adequate guaranteed money for the matchup
- Rousey earned approximately $6 million from the Le v. Zuffa antitrust settlement in 2025
- Dana White confirmed negotiations took place but said he’s happy for both fighters
Sources: Bloody Elbow | The Express | Sherdog | Post Wrestling
Ronda Rousey is framing her upcoming fight against Gina Carano as a direct challenge to the UFC and Dana White. The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion said her May 16 comeback on Netflix represents more than just a return to the cage.
“It’s a dream fight and a super fight and everything but I feel like the story and everything behind it is not just this fight,” Rousey said in a video released by Most Valuable Promotions on Monday. “But a lot of it is MVP versus UFC, and that’s where I’m gonna f—— go real hard in the trenches.”
Rousey, 38, has not competed in MMA since her knockout loss to Amanda Nunes in 2016. She will face Carano in a five-round featherweight bout at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, under Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions banner.
UFC ‘Suffering from Lack of Competition’
The Hall of Famer accused the UFC of treating class-action lawsuits as routine business expenses. She claimed the promotion needs legitimate competition to prevent this practice from continuing.
“We’re helping them because they’re suffering from a lack of competition and they can’t just make a class action lawsuit every couple of years the cost of doing business,” Rousey said. “I’m really trying to help Dana out and if anyone has been groomed to be his apprentice, it’s been me.”
Rousey played a key role in the landmark antitrust case Le v. Zuffa, which secured final clearance in February 2025. The settlement totaled $375 million for fighters active between 2010 and 2017.
Legal experts believe Rousey earned roughly $6 million from the settlement. Unsealed documents showed she made far more than the purses she officially revealed during her championship reign.
Negotiations Broke Down Over Money
Rousey revealed on The Jim Rome Show last week that she initially approached the UFC about hosting the Carano fight. She said the promotion refused to offer adequate guaranteed money.
“They didn’t want to set a precedent of giving me the guaranteed money that I deserve,” Rousey said. “Because once I raise that tide, it lifts all the boats.”
She pointed to the UFC’s recent $7.7 billion deal with Paramount as evidence the promotion could afford to pay fighters more. Rousey claimed it was in the UFC’s financial interest to minimize fighter compensation rather than put on the best fights possible.
Dana White confirmed at Saturday’s UFC Houston press conference that discussions about the fight took place. “Her and I have been talking about this since last year,” White said. “It just didn’t work out. But I’m happy for her.”
White said he and Carano are now “in a really good place” after previously having issues. Years ago, Carano backed out of UFC negotiations after receiving a text from White calling her a “bitch,” which he later confirmed was intended for her and subsequently apologized for.
Rousey held the UFC women’s bantamweight title for 1,074 days and successfully defended it six times. She remains the biggest star in women’s MMA history.
The Netflix event will mark the streaming platform’s first foray into live MMA broadcasting. Carano last competed in MMA in 2009, making this fight a return for both women after extended absences from the sport.
