Imago
Credits: IMAGO
Imago
Credits: IMAGO
Ronda Rousey is once again rubbing the UFC’s nose in her recent success, and the UFC might just deserve it. The 39-year-old is scheduled to face Gina Carano on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Their 5-round MMA fight will be broadcast live on Netflix. And Rousey feels Netflix is paying the fighters on her card way better than UFC.
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“I think it’s really important that we raise the ceiling, but also that we raise the floor,” Rousey said during her NYC Press Conference yesterday. “And one thing that I’m really proud of in this fight is the absolute minimum that anybody will walk away with, even if they don’t have a big, long record, and even if they lose, is $40,000.
“If you fight three times in a year, that is much more than a living wage. That is something that the UFC cannot say. And I hope that everybody sitting here today is getting the biggest payday of their career… And I hope that after this event, we can keep raising that ceiling higher and higher and higher until it is on par with the highest-level boxers because that is really where the Holy Grail, I think, for us is, and this is just the beginning.”
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Although it’s unclear how much MVP is paying Ronda Rousey for this fight, her highest disclosed purse in the UFC was $3 million for her bout against Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 on December 30, 2016, excluding pay-per-view shares and sponsorship earnings. Meanwhile, Gina Carano reportedly earned $125,000 for her loss to Cris Cyborg back in 2009.
Carano has also revealed that the UFC once offered her $1 million to fight Ronda Rousey, though the bout never moved past negotiations. Given Rousey’s recent criticism of the UFC, there’s a strong possibility she could be earning one of the largest paychecks of her career for this fight.
Ronda Rousey says the minimum any fighter on the MVP MMA card will make is $40K. pic.twitter.com/m2eO5AXw4H
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 15, 2026
In contrast, the UFC typically pays fighters on a per-fight basis, with contracts structured around a ‘show money + win bonus’ model. Pay varies significantly depending on experience, popularity, card placement, and negotiation leverage. Entry-level fighters may earn around $12,000 to show and another $12,000 to win, while top-tier stars can command purses of $4 million or more.
At one point, former heavyweight champion Jon Jones was reportedly offered $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall, though he declined the bout. The UFC’s ability to maintain relatively lower fighter pay is often attributed to its dominant position in the sport. While other promotions exist, none match the UFC’s global reach and credibility, allowing it to operate as a monopoly.
Recently, the UFC signed a $7.7 billion deal with Paramount. While the overall revenue has grown, many fighters feel that pay has not increased proportionally. One area that has seen a notable improvement, however, is performance bonuses, which the promotion has doubled.
Interestingly, Rousey initially approached the UFC about a potential fight with Carano. When negotiations fell through, MVP stepped in to make the matchup happen. So, ever since the fight’s announcement, Rousey has been outspoken in her criticism of the UFC and its business practices.
Ronda Rousey criticizes the UFC for making ‘take it or leave it offers’
The 39-year-old didn’t hold back while discussing her issues with the UFC earlier this month. She expressed frustration with how fighters are treated behind the scenes and pointed to what she sees as a growing power imbalance in negotiations.
“I meant it when I said that the UFC is suffering from a lack of competition,” Rousey said. “They’ve become too comfortable with being the dominant force in the industry, and just making fighters offers where they go, ‘Take it or leave it.’ What else are you going to do?
“It used to be that UFC was the best way to make money in combat sports. Now it’s becoming the worst place to make money in combat sports.”
Rousey believes this shift reflects a broader complacency, warning the company has grown too confident in its position at the top. With Netflix now entering the MMA scene while paying a lot more to the fighters, MVP could be waiting to snatch fighters whose contracts with the promotion are on the brink of ending.
For the first time in years, the UFC faces a legitimate, high-profile competitor challenging its pay structure, leaving the promotion’s next move the most anticipated in the sport.
Written by
Edited by
Gokul Pillai