Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, once a prominent figure and the face of the Las Vegas-based fight promotion, states she no longer recognizes the organization she once championed.
Rousey believes the UFC veered off course after securing a substantial seven-year, $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, leading to a detrimental change in its operational priorities.
“Once they moved into the streaming model, it’s just not about putting on the best fights possible anymore,” Rousey asserted during a recent press conference. She argued that UFC CEO Dana White is now legally obligated to maximize shareholder value, and with the company’s control effectively distanced from him, the organization has become “barely recognizable.” Rousey emphatically added, “They need to be saved from themselves. And luckily, I’m here to be their hero.”
Her own efforts to arrange a fight with Gina Carano through the UFC proved unsuccessful due to the inability to secure a “respectable deal,” which ultimately led to Rousey and Carano signing with another promotion.
Rousey further elaborated on her criticisms, attributing them to Dana White’s current position as an employee rather than an owner. “I think it was a big mistake of theirs to not let him just run things the way that he always has,” she remarked, suggesting that White’s reduced autonomy negatively impacts the company’s direction.
“It used to be that UFC was the best place you could come in combat sports to make a living and be paid fairly,” Rousey lamented. “And now it’s no longer. It’s one of the worst places to go. It’s why so many of their top athletes are leaving to go and find pay elsewhere. It’s why their champions like Valentina Shevchenko are selling pictures of their titties on OnlyFans.”
She highlighted the stark disparity, noting that many fighters at the foundational level struggle to support their families, enduring poverty despite fighting full-time. “This company just got $7.7 billion,” Rousey pointed out, emphasizing, “Like, there’s no reason that they can’t afford to pay their athletes at least a living wage. And not even that, to be able to match what these athletes are making in other sports.”
Rousey questioned the incentive for aspiring athletes to choose MMA over sports like football or boxing, given the inadequate compensation. “They’re bleeding talent because of their short-term greed,” she concluded.
“They’re thinking about the next quarter. They’re thinking about the shareholders and not thinking about their responsibility to be stewards of the future of the sport.”