UFC boss Dana White speaks out on Netflix's controversial first-ever MMA fight
Move over, Jake Paul
The gloves are off, and we don't just mean in the ring. For the first time in nearly 10 years, Ronda Rousey is returning to fighting in a big way. Ronda "Rowdy" Rousey is taking on Gina Carano, and while this bout might sound perfect for Dana White's UFC, the pair will be throwing down on Netflix.
As well as Rousey's long-awaited return, the landmark fight is Netflix's first time dipping its toe in the world of MMA. The streaming giant has recently stepped up its sports output, with the record-breaking Jake Paul and Mike Tyson fight being followed by others like Paul versus Anthony Joshua.
Now, Paul's Most Valuable Promotions has secured the lucrative Rousey vs Carano fight and seemingly snatched it from under Dana White.
Rousey and Carano will duke it out at California's Intuit Dome in Inglewood, although the former claimed she initially reached out to White about the fight taking place in the octagon.
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Speaking at UFC Houston, White revealed his feelings on the fact that Rousey was coming back to MMA but not to the UFC.
Confirming some of what Rousey had said, White explained: "Her [Rousey] and I have been talking about this since last year. It just didn’t work out. But I’m happy for her."
He also went on to discuss Carano after the pair had a pretty public falling out in 2019. Back then, Carano said she'd been in negotiations for a UFC comeback but claimed she got an accidental text message from White that referred to her as a "b*tch."
In the aftermath of the latest announcement, White clarified: "Listen, me and Gina are in a really good place, we weren’t at one point. I’m happy for both of them."
As reported by MMA Fighting, talks go back to 2025 before the UFC made a move to Paramount and got rid of its pay-per-view model. When the UFC was on ESPN, Rousey says she was due to make more money than ever before until the lack of a pay-per-view eliminated a guaranteed purse: “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 from the rest of the time the deal, they’re going to have to pay everybody else more. So then I decided to look elsewhere.”
MVP has brought back its "Uncut" video previews, with Rousey suggesting that she's taking it personally. Here, the former Olympian said: "The story and everything behind it is just this fight, but a lot of it is MVP versus UFC, and that’s where I’m going to f**king go very hard in the trenches."
Firing further shots UFC's way, Rousey concluded: "They [UFC] are suffering from a lack of competition, and they can’t just make a class-action lawsuit every couple of years, the cost of doing business. So, I’m really trying to help Dana out, and if anyone has been groomed to be his apprentice, it’s me. I think I’d be the most favorite adversary he’s ever had."
MMA Fighting noted that Netflix had been touting a broadcast deal with the UFC but only wanted the major marquee cards instead of the full Fight Night roster. This culminated in the UFC signing a $7.7 billion deal, lasting for seven years, and leaving Rousey's return in limbo.
That's all due to change when she and Carano make their Netflix debuts on May 16.