Jake Paul and Ronda Rousey have both expressed criticism over the UFC's decision to announce Conor McGregor's next fight during Paul's inaugural MMA event. Rousey headlined the show in Los Angeles, choking out Gina Carano in under 15 seconds as she returned to the cage for the first time in nearly a decade. However, during the evening, the UFC revealed that McGregor will make his comeback to the Octagon on July 11 against Max Holloway, marking his first fight in five years.
Paul's Reaction
Paul commented on the timing of the announcement, saying: "Yeah, that's cool. Drop it during our event, it doesn't matter. That just shows how pressed they are. They are little insecure boys trying to piggyback off of our event and try to put some news over top of us. It's not going to work buddy."
Rousey's Perspective
Rousey, who does not intend to fight again, added: "It's kind of catty. It also shows they see MVP MMA as a threat that they would do that at that moment and do that at that time. I feel like it's also a compliment because it elevates MVP MMA, and they're declaring they see us as a real rival."
Rousey had earlier finished Carano in an anticlimactic end to the much-anticipated clash between two of MMA's biggest trailblazers. In the main event of Netflix's first MMA broadcast, 39-year-old Rousey – the UFC's inaugural women's bantamweight champion – and 44-year-old Carano – who last fought in 2009 – were both introduced to thunderous applause at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The entrances ultimately lasted longer than the fight itself, as Rousey immediately took Carano down and locked in an armbar to secure the submission victory in 15 seconds. Both women embraced immediately after the bout, with Rousey confirming in her post-fight interview that her professional fighting career was over. She added: "There is no way I could have ended it better than this. I want to have some more babies and I have to get cooking."
