Rousey Says Carano Fight Will Set Female Purse Record After 10-Year MMA Return

9 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 15

Saturday’s Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano bout at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome will pay women a record purse in combat sports, Rousey said before MVP’s first MMA card on Netflix.
Rousey, 39, framed the fight as a challenge to UFC pay practices, saying she could give fighters more bargaining power after failing to agree comeback terms with the promotion she left in 2016.
The benchmark appears above Rousey’s last reported $3 million UFC purse and beyond the roughly $5 million reportedly earned by Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor for their 2025 trilogy bout.
Carano, 44, said the matchup helped pull her through mental-health struggles after her 2021 firing from The Mandalorian, while Rousey called her a pioneer she would be happy to see complete a comeback.
With Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz also on the card, organizers are betting Rousey’s return can draw a record MMA audience and help MVP step out of the UFC’s shadow.

After a decade away, can Ronda Rousey's comeback redefine her legacy and ignite a revolution in fighter pay?

With record purses and a Netflix platform, can this new league finally create a true and lasting rival to the UFC?

Is this event a genuine movement for fighter rights, or just a new promoter exploiting a popular narrative for profit?