Ronda Rousey recently provided further details on why her fight with Gina Carano never materialized in the UFC. She also spoke about the changes in the promotion’s financial structure following its transition into a new media rights era.
Rousey said Dana White had offered her what would have been the largest pay-per-view deal in company history before the UFC shifted to a major streaming agreement, reportedly valued at $7.7 billion with Paramount. According to Rousey, discussions changed once the company operated under a broader corporate framework, and guaranteed compensation was no longer available in the way she expected.
She indicated that the promotion was unwilling to establish a financial precedent that could impact future fighter negotiations. During a recent conversation with Jim Rome, she said:
“They didn’t want to set a precedent of giving me the guaranteed money I deserve… they just made a $7.7 billion deal at Paramount. It’s in their best interest NOT to put on the best fights possible, but to spend as little money as possible so they can keep it.”
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She added:
“Now that they sold the company, it’s out of Dana’s hands unfortunately and it’s fallen onto Hunter Campbell and UFC corp. They don’t care about putting on the best fights possible, they care about putting on the most cost-effective fights possible.”
Check out Ronda Rousey’s comments below:
The fight will instead headline Netflix’s first live MMA event on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The card, promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, marks Netflix’s formal entry into live mixed martial arts. The bout will be contested at 145 pounds over five five-minute rounds.
Rousey, 39, has not competed in MMA since December 2016. She holds a 12-2 record and was the inaugural UFC women’s bantamweight champion. Carano, 43, has not fought since 2009, when she faced Cris Cyborg.
Edited by Abhishek Nambiar
