When Ronda Rousey returned to the cage on Saturday night to face fellow MMA pioneer Gina Carano, the fight was over in just 17 seconds. Rousey quickly locked in her signature armbar, forcing Carano to tap out. 'I didn't really want to hurt her,' Rousey said afterwards. 'It was beautiful martial arts.'
The bout headlined a card promoted by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), co-founded by Jake Paul, and marked MMA's debut on Netflix. The event also featured former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who scored a first-round knockout, and Nate Diaz, who was stopped by Mike Perry. Nakisa Bridarian, Paul's partner, claimed it was 'the most expensive MMA card ever put together.'
However, the main event drew sharp criticism for being a lopsided mismatch. Carano, 44, had not competed in 17 years, while Rousey, 39, admitted she had no intention of fighting again. The spectacle highlighted a void left by the UFC, which, since its purchase by Endeavor in 2016, has focused on scalable media deals rather than creating blockbuster events. In August 2025, the UFC signed a $7.7bn broadcast deal with Paramount, reducing its incentive to produce cards that capture the imagination.
MVP's foray into MMA capitalised on this shift, banking on fans' craving for monumental events built on personality and legacy. Yet, with Rousey's retirement and no clear narrative momentum, the future of MVP's MMA venture remains uncertain. Whether the event can draw over nine million viewers to convince Netflix to invest more consistently in MMA is still to be seen.
