Ronda Rousey Blasts UFC Pay Dispute After Gina Carano Fight Lands on Netflix

Ronda Rousey is finally getting her long-talked-about showdown with Gina Carano — just not inside the UFC Octagon.

Netflix confirmed Tuesday that Rousey will face Carano on May 16 under Jake Paul’s MVP promotional banner, closing the loop on a “dream fight” that fans have been calling for over a decade. But according to Rousey, the bout almost happened in UFC — until negotiations fell apart.

Speaking with Jim Rome, Rousey laid out exactly how talks with Dana White broke down. She said she initially wanted the fight around New Year’s and pushed for a historic payday.

“Originally, I wanted to do it for New Year’s, and I went to [Dana] and was like, ‘You always say I’m the best fighter you’ve ever worked with, reward me for it. Don’t punish me for being easy to work with. Give me the best deal you’ve ever given anybody.’”

Rousey said White responded positively and returned with what she described as a massive offer.

“He came back and he literally brought me a deal where I would make more per pay-per-view buy than anybody in history. If I hit my historical numbers, which I know we would have been able to exceed, I would have made as much as I did in my entire career. I was like, ‘Hell yeah, Dana. High five. Thanks.’”

But timing — and business — changed everything. Rousey explained that Carano needed more time, and negotiations drifted into the period when the UFC’s pay-per-view model was shifting toward streaming. That’s when, she claims, corporate priorities took over.

“They are now a publicly traded company… They didn’t want to set a precedent of giving me the guaranteed money that I deserve because once I raise that tide, it lifts all the boats.”

She went even further, suggesting the UFC’s financial obligations to shareholders altered the promotion’s approach.

“Dana is now legally obligated to maximize shareholder value… It no longer made sense for me to go over there because they didn’t want to pay us the money we deserve, because then, for the rest of the time of the deal, they’re going to have to pay everybody else more. I decided to look elsewhere.”

Now “elsewhere” means Netflix and MVP. The fight will take place at 145 pounds. Rousey (12-2) hasn’t competed since her 2016 knockout loss to Amanda Nunes, while Carano (7-1) hasn’t fought since her 2009 stoppage defeat to Cris Cyborg.

More than a decade removed from their primes, the matchup still carries massive name value — and now it comes with a side of corporate controversy.