Overview
- Rousey returned to the cage on May 16, 2026, and submitted Gina Carano with an armbar in roughly 17 seconds at Jake Paul’s Netflix-backed MVP MMA event.
- She announced retirement after the fight but has since softened that stance and said “we’ll see” about fighting or promoting on a possible MVP MMA 2 as she holds talks with Jake Paul’s team.
- Rousey has repeatedly attacked UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell, saying he failed to see the fight’s value and quoting him as saying he could not market “a couple of 40-year-olds.”
- Netflix viewership for the main event is reported at about 17 million, a figure sources and Rousey cite as commercial validation for MVP MMA’s streaming model and event-style promotion.
- The debut card’s success has prompted UFC interest in several MVP fighters and underscored a larger shift in the sport where personality-driven, streaming events could give fighters more promotional options and change how matches are marketed.