Ronda Rouseyhas turned her comeback tour into a direct shot at the UFC’s modern business model, using a recent press event for her Gina Carano fight to torch the promotion over pay, matchmaking and its new streaming era priorities.
The former UFC bantamweight champion is returning to MMA under Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions banner, with her long-discussed matchup against Gina Carano scheduled to headline Netflix’sfirst live MMAcard on May 16 at Intuit Dome in California, promoted as a legacy clash between two of the original stars of women’s MMA.
Rousey has said she initially tried to make the Carano bout with the UFC and personally reached out toDana White, but talks collapsed once the promotion’s new broadcast deal and internal financial structure came into play.
In explaining why the fight did not land on a UFC card, Rousey framed the entire breakdown as a consequence of the promotion’s shift from pay-per-view to an all‑in streaming partnership reportedly worth around 7.7 billion dollars with Paramount, which removed traditional PPV upside for stars and placed tighter emphasis on fixed costs and shareholder returns.
“Once [UFC] moved into the streaming model, it’s just not about putting on the best fights possible anymore. Dana is legally beholden to the shareholders and to maximize shareholder value. Unfortunately, now that they’ve taken the reins of the company away from [Dana White], it’s barely recognizable now.”
Ronda Rousey explains why the Gina Carano fight fell through with the UFC:"Once [UFC] moved into the streaming model, it's just not about putting on the best fights possible anymore. Dana is legally beholden to the shareholders and to maximize shareholder value. Unfortunately,…pic.twitter.com/YmToFXmYDc
That criticism tracks with comments Rousey has already made in interviews, where she said the UFC “didn’t want to set a precedent” by giving her the guaranteed purse she felt she and Carano deserved because it could “raise that tide” for the rest of the roster across the life of the Paramount deal.
According to Rousey, the promotion’s new incentivesfavour“cost‑effective” fight cards over the biggest possible matchups, since blockbuster guarantees would cut into the margins expected by its corporate ownership and public shareholders.
“The UFC is one of the worst places to go. So many of their top athletes are leaving to find pay elsewhere. It’s why their champions like Valentina [Shevchenko] are selling pictures of their titties on OnlyFans.”
Ronda Rousey says the UFC is no longer looking to put on the best fights in the Paramount era 😬“It’s not about putting on the best fights possible anymore. Now that they’ve taken the reins of the company away from [Dana] it’s barely recognizable now.They need to be saved…pic.twitter.com/DHPADWhXty
Source: LowKickMMA.com
