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Ronda Rousey Names Ricky Lundell Head Coach for Netflix Return, Keeps Heat on UFC Pay

Her coaching switch spotlights a comeback tied to a public push on fighter pay.

Overview

  • Rousey named wrestling and grappling coach Ricky Lundell as her head coach for her 16 May Netflix fight with Gina Carano at the Intuit Dome.
  • The pair once faced off on The Ultimate Fighter when Lundell coached rival Miesha Tate, a history that gives the reunion extra weight.
  • In a new YouTube vlog, Rousey credits Lundell with pulling her back to training and says he became her first-ever judo black belt.
  • She also pressed her case on fighter pay, writing that athletes on the biggest stage deserve a living wage and amplifying prospect Kenneth Cross’s claim that he will earn about five times a UFC debut purse on the MVP card.
  • UFC CEO Dana White said he has stepped away from contract talks, a stance that heightens the pay debate as Rousey returns for her first MMA bout since 2016.