INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano reportedly secured multi-million dollar paydays for their long-awaited returns to MMA at MVP MMA 1 on Netflix.
According to disclosed purses released by the California State Athletic Commission, Rousey earned $2.2 million for her first fight in nearly a decade, while Carano took home $1.05 million for her return bout at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The figures do not include:
- Potential discretionary bonuses
- Revenue shares tied to Netflix viewership
- Ticket-sale percentages
- Sponsorship income
That means the final totals for both fighters could ultimately be much higher. Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou reportedly received the second-largest disclosed purse on the card at $1.5 million.
Ngannou scored a brutal first-round knockout over Philipe Lins during the main card and immediately reignited talk of a future super fight with Jon Jones. The event marked another major financial statement from Most Valuable Promotions as it officially launched into MMA promotion.
Fighter Pay Debate Front And Center
The disclosed salaries became a major talking point because fighter pay was already one of the biggest storylines heading into the event. Rousey repeatedly criticized the UFC and TKO leadership during the promotion of the fight, claiming many fighters under the current system are “living in poverty level.”
Her complaints centered around:
- Revenue sharing
- Base salaries
- Long-term fighter treatment
- Compensation compared to other major sports
The disclosed payouts from MVP MMA immediately drew comparisons to UFC pay structures. Notably, no fighter on the MVP MMA 1 card reportedly earned less than $40,000 disclosed purse money well above the UFC’s standard entry-level structure of $12,000 to show and $12,000 to win.
A New Promotional Battle Brewing
The massive purses also added fuel to the growing rivalry between MVP and the UFC. Jake Paul and MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian have consistently positioned their company as fighter-friendly compared to the UFC model.
Saturday’s event featured:
- Rousey’s successful comeback
- Ngannou’s highlight-reel knockout
- Mike Perry stopping Nate Diaz
- Strong Netflix visibility
- Heavy celebrity and crossover attention
With streaming giants, crossover stars, and bigger disclosed paydays entering the MMA space, the competition between promotional models in combat sports appears to be heating up rapidly.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
