For any MMA fan, the moment Ronda Rousey teased her return, the expectations were to see her fight in the UFC. But, she is making her return under Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), with the fight set to be broadcast on Netflix. While it may raise questions about a potential feud with Dana White, the reason lies in UFC’s new broadcast rights deal.

From 2026, UFC entered into a new contract with Paramount as their new broadcast partner for a deal valued at $7.7 billion. With this, the expectations are to have revamped production-backed massive events. Then again, for someone like ‘Rowdy’, who will be making her return against another MMA legend like Gina Carano, the payout has to be high. But, citing UFC’s deal with Paramount, Rousey believes even White is helpless.

Ronda Rousey reveals negotiations with UFC

“How do I put it?” said Ronda Rousey during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show. “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. They just made a $7.7 billion deal at Paramount, so it’s in their best interest actually not to put on the best fights possible but to spend as little money as possible so they can keep it. Dana’s now legally obligated to maximize shareholder revenue.

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… So it no longer made sense for me to go over there because they didn’t want to pay us the money that we deserve, because then for the rest of the time of the deal, they’re going to have to pay everybody else more. And so, then I decided to look elsewhere.”

Now that she’s through with the negotiations, ‘Rowdy’ will finally make her comeback on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Unlike her usual MMA weight category, bantamweight, it will be a featherweight bout. With a few months left, Rousey prepares to put in a strong performance.

Likewise, Carano is also undergoing tough training regimes, especially considering that she is an underdog heading into the fight.

Gina Carano’s coach notes his fighter’s preparation

While Ronda Rousey has been away from the Octagon action for almost a decade now, Gina Carano last fought back in 2009. With a record of 7-1, Carano surprisingly left fighting and ventured into movies as an actress. But as she looks to make her MMA return, the 43-year-old is not taking things lightly.

“Absolutely. I prefer the underdog. I love that challenge,” said John Wood in an interview with Damon Martin. “Those are the things that are where I’ve made a career of working with fighters that were all underdogs that, you know, went far beyond what people thought they were gonna do. And I truly believe, I truly believe this is gonna be one of those situations.

I really believe that Gina has the capabilities to go out there and shock the world. And that’s what our plan is. This isn’t, this isn’t, you know, just a cash grab of like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna do this.’ This is a woman, two women who actually wanna fight, you know, wanna come back and get into it. And I can tell you that the fire is there.”

Unlike Carano, Rousey was still close to fighting with brief appearances in professional wrestling. Maybe for the stark differences between their inactivity, ‘Rowdy’ is being considered the favorite to win.

On that note, do you think Rousey beats Carano? Let us know in the comments below!