Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are scheduled to clash in a highly anticipated fight on May 16, but this bout will not take place under the UFC banner where Rousey built her fame. Instead, the match will be promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and will be streamed live on Netflix. This shift marks a significant departure from Rousey’s prior UFC career, raising questions about how the deal fell apart with the organization.
Rousey Details Breakdowns in UFC Negotiations
In a recent interview on The Jim Rome Show, Rousey described the process that ultimately led her to sign with MVP instead of UFC. She revealed she initially contacted UFC President Dana White to pursue a New Year’s event fight, hoping to secure what she considered a groundbreaking deal. According to Rousey, White enthusiastically responded and expressed interest, going so far as to send her a voice memo signaling his excitement.
Rousey said,
“And so he reached out to Gina, and she said that she’d already lost 25 pounds and this was like, that walk back into the cage again is something that she’s always wanted to do. And so that’s when the talk started happening and got that that interest from her… she was down from the first mention of it.”
Dana White’s initial enthusiasm was clear, and Carano was eager from the outset to return to the cage.
Largest Per-PPV Buy Deal Was Offered by Dana White
Rousey pushed for a deal reflecting her elite status in UFC history, demanding the highest per pay-per-view (PPV) revenue split ever offered in combat sports. During negotiations, she told White,
“Dude, you always say that I’m the best fighter you ever worked with. Reward me for it. Don’t punish me for being easy to work with. Give me the best deal you ever gave anybody.”
White responded with approval, coming back with an offer that would have made Rousey the top earner per PPV buy in history if she hit expected sales targets.
She recalled,
“And he was, ‘All right, I’m going to go back and get you the best deal I ever had.’ So, he came back and he’s literally brought me the a deal where I would make more per PPV buy than anybody in history. If I hit my historical numbers, which I know we would have been able to succeed, I would have made as much as I did in my entire career. And um I was like, ‘Hell yeah, Dana, high five. Thanks.’”
This agreement could have marked a historic payout for Rousey.
Corporate Changes Impact UFC’s Willingness to Pay
Despite the promising offer, complications emerged when Gina Carano required additional time to prepare, coinciding with UFC’s transition from ESPN’s PPV model to streaming under Paramount. Rousey explained this shift impacted UFC’s approach to fighter payouts, noting that the company, now publicly traded, prioritized minimizing expenditures to satisfy shareholder expectations after a massive $7.7 billion deal with Paramount.
She stated,
“So it’s in their best interest actually not to put on the best fights possible, but to spend as little as money as possible so that he can keep it. Dana’s now legally obligated to maximize shareholder value. It’s not just about proving the concept of fighting and putting on the best fights possible, and proving that this is a sport to be taken seriously. I think now that it’s gone into — now that they’ve sold the company, it’s it’s kind of out of Dana’s hands, unfortunately. And now it’s falling onto Hunter Campbell and UFC Corp., where they don’t care about putting on the best fights possible. They care about putting on the most cost=effective fights possible.”
This corporate restructuring reduced UFC’s willingness to offer guaranteed compensation reflective of Rousey’s stature.
Consequently, Rousey decided to move forward with other promotions where she believed the financial terms would better match her value, leading to the deal with MVP.
Rey Mysterio Reflects on Earning Wrestling Respect
Separately, Rey Mysterio, a celebrated figure in professional wrestling known for his tenure with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and WWE, recently discussed how he earned and continues to maintain widespread respect within the industry. During an appearance on Cody Rhodes’ What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast, Mysterio emphasized the foundational principles that have guided his decades-long career.
Mysterio Credits Upbringing and Respect for Wrestling
Mysterio attributes his reputation to the values instilled in him by his parents and his unwavering passion for wrestling. He explained,
“This is the only thing that I’ve ever done, and I’ve ever loved doing, and the only thing that I know how to do. And I’ve always held it very dear and close to my heart, and I do it with passion, with love. I spend my energy, I devote myself to this sport. It’s given me everything. It’s given me the opportunity to meet my wife and to have my children, to live the way I live. Truly blessed overall, not only in sport and life in general.”
He expressed deep gratitude for the opportunities wrestling has provided throughout his life and career.
Maintaining Respect Through Personal Conduct
Regarding his rapport backstage with peers of all ages, Mysterio explained that treating others as he wishes to be treated is a core principle he learned from his upbringing. He said,
“I’ve always respected all my peers, younger or older than me. And I think I’ve always treated everyone the way I’ve been wanting to be treated. And I think that comes from home, the way your parents raised you. ‘Cause I see now the same with my kids. Like, how they are treated and how people express themselves about my kids. So I think in that sense, there’s a foundation to all of this. And it starts from home, then eventually builds whatever you wanna build it, from whatever traits you pick up from home and carry those with you.”
His respect for others is a deliberate product of his personal values carried from childhood into his professional life.
Gratitude and Connection in Wrestling
Mysterio also highlighted how much he enjoys the camaraderie and connection within the wrestling community. He remarked,
“But overall, I’m grateful to be where I’m at. I’m grateful with the life in general. Blessed, 1000%, and enjoy from day one, training, to this day, everything I have done. And I’ve had people to share it with. And I like doing that, and I like the camaraderie, I like to connect. I can isolate myself a lot when I’m not around this sport. And I think there’s few people that can see that. My wife, my daughter, and maybe my son every now and then. But when I’m here, I get suffocated with it, and I love it.”
This connection fuels his ongoing passion for wrestling and the respect he has earned within the industry.
Significance of the Fight Arrangement and Mysterio’s Reflections
The transition of Ronda Rousey’s upcoming fight from UFC to Jake Paul’s MVP highlights broader shifts in combat sports promotions and corporate influences shaping athlete compensation and fight promotion. Rousey’s decision underscores increasing tensions between fighters seeking fair guarantees and companies bound by shareholder demands to limit expenses. Streaming platforms like Netflix entering fight promotion also signal new trends in sports entertainment dissemination.
Meanwhile, Rey Mysterio’s reflections offer a grounded perspective on sustaining a legendary career through respect, integrity, and devotion within professional wrestling. His insights complement ongoing narratives about legacy and values amid changing landscapes in combat and entertainment sports.
