Ronda Rousey attends Netflix's Ronda Rousey x Gina Carano Los Angeles MMA Press Conference at Intuit Dome on March 10, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Getty Images for Netflix)
Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano Press Conference In Pictures – Rousey Puts UFC On Blast
During a press conference for her upcoming fight against Gina Carano, Ronda Rousey criticized the UFC's current financial approach and fighter pay policies. Rousey revealed that her super-fight isn't happening under the UFC banner due to the promotion's recent shift to a streaming model and its focus on shareholder value over quality matchups. Promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, the event is set for May 16 at the Intuit Dome in California, broadcast on Netflix. Rousey lamented that the UFC is no longer a viable place for fighters to earn a sustainable income and attract top talent.
- Ronda Rousey criticises UFC's focus on profit over fighter welfare
- Rousey vs Carano fight to be broadcast on Netflix, not UFC
- Rousey warns that UFC is losing talent due to poor financial practices
Ronda Rousey launched a scathing attack on the UFC during the press conference for her May 16 super-fight with fellow women’s MMA legend, Gina Carano.
Rousey and Carano are two of the pioneers when it comes to women in combat sports, and for the past decade-plus there has been a huge amount of speculation and debate about a possible bout – would it happen and, if so, who would win?
The fight will now happen at the Intuit Dome in California in May, and we will get an answer to ‘who would win’ when the two women share the cage, but there was one other lingering question heading into the pre-fight press conference in Los Angeles. Why is the fight not taking place in the UFC?
The bout is being promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and will be broadcast live on Netflix, and Rousey has lifted the lid on why a deal with the UFC fell through.
“I have much love and respect for [UFC President] Dana [White],” Rousey said at the press conference. “I wanted to bring this to him first. I said, 'I know I can do this on my own, but I’d rather do this for you than just for me'.
"We were going to do it on New Year's – it was going to be the last fight on the pay-per-view model, and I was so grateful. But Gina said she needed more time to get into the best shape possible and be the best version of herself, and that was fate and meant to be.
"Once the UFC moved into the streaming model, it’s not about putting on the best fights possible anymore. Dana is legally beholden to the shareholders and to maximise shareholder value. Unfortunately, now they’ve taken the reins of the company away from him, it’s barely recognisable now. They need to be saving themselves, and luckily, I'm here to be their hero.”
Rousey did not stop there when addressing the UFC’s owners – TKO Group Holdings. The company – which also owns World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) – has been heavily criticised over fighter pay, with that criticism becoming even stronger following boxer Conor Benn’s big-money defection from Matchroom Boxing to Zuffa Boxing – part owned by TKO.
“It used to be that the UFC was the best place that you could come in combat sports to make a living and be paid fairly,” she continued. “Now, it’s one of the worst places to go.
“It’s why so many of their top athletes are going to find pay elsewhere. It’s why their champions, like Valentina [Shevchenko], are selling pictures of their t***** on OnlyFans. These people, a lot of them at the ground level, they can’t even support their families and are living at poverty-level fighting full-time.
"This company just got $7.7 billion. There is no reason why they can’t afford to pay their athletes at least a living wage. Not even that, to at least be able to match what these athletes are making in other sports. Why would they expect to get the best athletes and aspiring kids that want to be something into MMA? Why not go into football, boxing, or anything else?
“They are bleeding talent because of their short-term greed. They are thinking about the next quarter. They are thinking about the shareholders. They are not thinking about their responsibility to be stewards of the sport.”
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