Ronda Rousey Names Who Could Outperform the UFC

Ronda Rousey has promised her return will be for just one more fight, but that doesn't mean she's entirely done with MMA.

Ahead of her May 16 comeback bout against Gina Carano, the UFC Hall of Famer has spent considerable time criticizing her former employers — particularly her dealings with UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell, who oversees contracts, fight agreements, and some aspects of matchmaking for the company. Ultimately, Rousey partnered with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions, helping to build a massive event set to stream on Netflix, accessible to over 325 million subscribers at no additional cost.

MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian has already stated that if the Rousey vs. Carano card is a success, the organization might commit to MMA long-term. The former UFC bantamweight champion believes this is exactly what the sport needs right now.

In fact, Rousey would be keen to help run the promotion if given the opportunity.

“I mean, nobody’s more qualified than me,” Rousey told TMZ. “I’m definitely more qualified than f***ing Hunter Campbell. I think MVP would be an amazing partner, and I think Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul really believe in fighters being fairly compensated.

The sport is at a crossroads — kind of like when I came into women’s MMA and I was like, wait a second, there’s a huge opportunity here. I see the same thing right now with MVP, Netflix, and MMA. If this event is a huge success, there’s a huge opportunity to take market share in MMA and show everyone what they’ve been missing.”

Despite her consistent criticism of the UFC while promoting her return to action, Rousey still praises Dana White, expressing regret that he no longer holds the same level of control after Endeavor spent over $4 billion to acquire the promotion in 2016. These days, TKO Group Holdings, the UFC's parent company, holds the keys to the kingdom, and while White is still president and CEO, Rousey knows he isn't making the decisions.

As a result, Rousey believes the UFC has forgotten how to build major events that fans want to watch, instead focusing solely on the financial bottom line.

“I think what Jake Paul and Mike Tyson proved is that exhibition matches are the future of the sport,” Rousey explained. “People aren’t tuning in to watch a belt. They’re not tuning in to watch a brand. They’re tuning in to watch characters they know and love. It’s the same thing as ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’ I’m not watching because I like the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ brand or Disney. I don’t particularly care who gets Davy Jones’ heart at the end. I’m watching to see Jack Sparrow.

I think the UFC has forgotten that the fighters are the stars and that characters are what people watch for. They forgot that when they started putting numbers on fight cards instead of names and when they started putting everyone in the same uniforms. I feel like there’s a huge opportunity to show what people are missing in MMA and to create premier fights featuring characters the audience loves. I think this is just the beginning if the event achieves the massive success I expect. I hope for a partnership between me and MVP in the future.”

What role would Rousey want in this hypothetical company?

Rousey believes she possesses everything necessary to be a top-tier promoter — especially having been practically mentored by White as she became one of the sport's biggest superstars.

“I would want to be their Dana and lead them into the future,” Rousey said. “First, we’ll see how this goes. I feel like the decision is obvious.”