Ronda Rousey, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion and a pivotal figure in popularizing women’s mixed martial arts, has delivered a harsh critique of fighter pay within the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As she prepares for her comeback bout against Gina Carano at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, Rousey used a recent press conference in Los Angeles to highlight what she sees as an alarming decline in financial opportunities for UFC fighters. Her criticism comes amid broader concerns about how the sport compensates its athletes and the growing trend of top fighters seeking opportunities outside the UFC.
The upcoming match between Rousey and Carano will not take place under the UFC banner but will be promoted by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and streamed on Netflix—an unusual arrangement for Rousey, who has had a longstanding relationship with UFC president Dana White. Despite her admiration for White, Rousey voiced disappointment in the UFC’s evolving approach to fighter pay and organizational priorities.
The Growing Gap in UFC Fighter Salaries
At the Los Angeles press conference, Rousey did not hold back in condemning the UFC’s current pay structure. She argued the organization once represented the gold standard for combat sports athletes to earn a fair wage but has now become one of the worst options for fighters seeking financial security.
“It used to be that UFC was the best place that you could come in combat sports to make a living and be paid fairly and now it’s one of the worst places to go,” Rousey said. “It’s why so many of their top athletes are leaving to go and find pay elsewhere. It’s why their champions like Valentina [Shevcheko] are selling pictures of their titties on OnlyFans. These people, a lot of them at the ground level, they can’t support their families. They’re living poverty-level fighting full-time. This company just got $7.7 billion dollars. There’s no reason that they can’t afford to pay their athletes at least a living wage and not even that, to at least be able to match what these athletes are making in other sports.
“Why would they expect to get the best athletes and the best inspiring kids that want to be something into MMA? Why not go into football? Why not go into boxing? Why not go into anything else? So they’re bleeding talent because of their short-term greed. They’re thinking about the next quarter. They’re thinking about the shareholders. They’re not thinking about their responsibility to be stewards of the future of the sport.”
Rousey’s remarks underscored her belief that the UFC’s financial model is pushing talented fighters toward other sports and platforms where they can earn a more viable income. The mention of champion Valentina Shevchenko turning to OnlyFans to supplement her income highlights how even high-profile fighters are impacted.
Impact of Corporate Ownership on UFC’s Priorities
Rousey connected the pay controversy to broader changes in the UFC’s corporate landscape. Since 2016, when the UFC was sold to Endeavor Group Holdings (formerly WME IMG) and later merged into TKO Group Holdings alongside WWE, the organization’s business model has shifted toward serving shareholder interests and maximizing quarterly profits.
This shift, Rousey explained, has altered how the promotion views its responsibilities toward fighters and the sport’s future.
Despite her criticism of the corporate direction, she stopped short of blaming Dana White personally.
Initial UFC Negotiations for the Rousey-Carano Fight
Rousey revealed that her original plan was to hold the fight against Gina Carano under the UFC banner, honoring her history with the promotion and her respect for Dana White.
“I knew that we could promote this on our own and probably be the most lucrative way to go about it for us, but I have such love and respect for Dana that I wanted to bring this to him first,” Rousey said. “I said I know I can do this on my own, but I would rather fight for you than to fight for me, just make it make sense for me, and originally we were going to do it New Year’s and it was going to be the last fight under the pay-per-view model and he offered me the best pay-per-view structure ever and I was so grateful, but then Gina said she needed more time to get in the best shape possible and that she wanted me to fight the best version of herself and I think that was fate. It was meant to be. It was meant to push us onto the other side and once they moved into the streaming model, it’s just not about putting on the best fights possible anymore.
“Dana is legally beholden to the shareholders and to maximize shareholder value and unfortunately, now that they’ve taken the reins of the company away from him, it’s barely recognizable now and they need to be saved from themselves and luckily I’m here to be their hero.”
Rousey made clear that although Dana White had offered the most favorable pay-per-view deal of her career, changes in UFC’s business model and the switch to streaming platforms altered the environment, prompting her and Carano to seek alternatives.
How the Comeback Match Became a Movement
What started as a personal journey for both Rousey and Carano—rekindling their passion for competition—escalated into a challenge against the UFC’s dominant presence in MMA.
“We went from because of this I had to get her number and talk to her, because of this I had to meet up with her and find a way to make the contract work out and I thought it was just about me finding my love for the sport and just about her getting back to finding that fire and that light in her eyes that we fell in love with, but it’s become much more than that,” Rousey said. “Now it’s become about changing the entire landscape of the sport and challenging the monolith that the UFC has become.
“Of course, I just wanted to do something fun, and I ended up having to change the world, but that’s the way that we do it and I’m so happy that we’re here and I’m so grateful that Gina trusted me. When it wasn’t going to work out with the UFC, I told her we can do this on our own, we don’t need them, we don’t need anyone. And she said, ‘I’m going to follow your lead and I’m going to trust you,’ and that’s what led us to MVP and to Netflix and to us sitting here in front of the Intuit Dome about to put on most-viewed MMA fight of all time.”
With the event scheduled at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, a modern arena expected to attract significant global attention, the fight is positioned to become a landmark in MMA history outside the UFC framework.
Recognition of Loyalty Amidst Criticism
Despite her pointed criticism of the UFC’s corporate policies and pay structure, Rousey ended her comments by expressing deep respect for Dana White’s loyalty throughout her career.
“Dana White, if I could describe him in one word, I would say, I think he’s loyal to a fault. … Loyal. He’s very loyal.”
Rousey’s remarks highlight the complex dynamic between fighters and promoters, acknowledging White’s dedication while questioning the promotion’s broader priorities under corporate governance.
The Broader Implications for MMA’s Future
Ronda Rousey remains one of the most influential figures in women’s MMA history, having paved the way for champions like Valentina Shevchenko and countless others. Her upcoming fight with Gina Carano has sparked conversations extending well beyond a single contest. The discussion now includes significant issues such as fighter compensation, the changing nature of MMA promotions, and how the sport will evolve.
These developments expose an urgent need for the MMA industry to reconsider how athletes are valued and supported. As UFC faces criticism over financial policies and management decisions, competing promotions—and new distribution models like streaming on Netflix—may gain momentum by offering fighters more viable options.
Ultimately, Rousey’s outspoken stance could influence fighters, promoters, and fans alike to push for reforms that ensure mixed martial arts remains a sustainable, respected sport for competitors at all levels.
Ronda Rousey just went on a rant about the UFC’s fighter pay 😳
“The UFC is one of the worst places to go. Their champions like Valentina are selling pictures of their t*tties on OnlyFans.
They just got $7.7 billion dollars. There’s no reason they can’t pay their athletes.” pic.twitter.com/TkaB6ljymb
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) March 10, 2026
