Hot Topic: MVP's Rousey vs Carano Event Is A Huge Deal for MMA

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On Saturday 16th May 2026 Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) are hosting a star studded MMA event that has the potential to change the landscape of the MMA world by doing things in a way that is new to the sport.

There is a lot of hyperbole within modern media, but despite the fact that the main event is a 43 year old vs a 39 year who haven't competed for nearly a decade, this card brings a new dynamic which is exciting, intriguing and very much worth exploring. 

By packing the card with household names, glamour, and serious MMA credentials Jake Paul's MVP promotion is set to draw attention from a wide range of fan bases. All of this has not happened by accident, rather this is a clear targeted strategy aiming to put on massive events and propel themselves to the forefront of the MMA universe.

MVP Enters the Arena

The UFC has been the uncontested MMA powerhouse for a long time and the promotion essentially rose to the top by signing the best fighters from around the world and pitting the best vs the best for all the world to see. That model has worked wonders and has also been a joy for MMA fans, purists and those of us that revel in the spirit of competition.

 
In 2026, the UFC changed its whole model from Pay Per View sales to subscriber streaming as it started a staggering 7 year $7.7 billion deal with the broadcaster Paramount. The idea is simple; remove the paywall and grow the sport by bringing more viewers. All made possible by Paramount's impressive 79 million subscribers. It must be noted that additional subscriber deals are in place across the globe, boosting the total potential audience much, much higher.

That strategy has not been lost on MVP who are also aiming to play the numbers game. The promotion is aiming to accommodate existing MMA fans as well as attract new ones by bringing big names, plenty of glitz and all of the glam to the party. MVP, like the UFC, also have an ace up their sleeve making their ambitions possible; they will be streaming the Carano vs Rousey event live on Netflix. Their stated plan is to turn MMA cards into "mainstream cultural events" rather than just a niche sporting event.

The importance of the Netflix deal to these ambitions cannot be overstated. The streaming platform has over 325 million subscribers in 190 countries at the time of writing and the card will be free to view for every single one of them. To put that into context the sport's biggest selling pay per view event was UFC 229: Khabib vs McGregor with 2.4 million views. Quite clearly that was a different model and quite clearly MVP cannot go and take all the top fighters in the world from day one, but by enticing new and casual fans with household names like Carano, Rousey, N'Gannou and Nate Diaz they have a real chance at competing in the MMA arena.

Netflix could be a huge platform for MMA and MVP has shown they can deliver huge audiences for the streaming service as in November 2024 their Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul boxing event peaked at 65 million viewers. To compare that to another huge sporting event, the 2025 NFL Super Bowl hit 127 million viewers. That's the scale we are talking about here for MMA and if MVP can draw in an audience anything like its previous cards then MMA will take another giant step towards sustainable growth.

 
By removing the pay wall barrier the UFC and MVP are now enabling many millions of existing MMA fans to tune in as well as opening the doors for new fans, specifically children who cannot afford such costs and casuals who are not prepared to pay such a fee for a product they know little about. The impact of having more fans and more viewers would ultimately change MMA by bringing in more money from various revenue streams (merchandise, sponsorship deals, ticket sales etc) meaning more money for athletes, and ultimately more athletes seeing MMA as a viable future.

This Event Has Real Credibility

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As always in the MMA world there is a significant section of fans bringing negativity. In this instance the credibility of the Carano vs Rousey event is being called into question. At first glance there is some validity to that criticism; Carano, Rousey, N'Gannou and Nate Diaz are all probably past their respective primes, and I say that with the greatest of respect to each of them. 

However, to dismiss this card as irrelevant is ludicrous and pithy in equally ridiculous measure. Carano was a legitimate Muay Thai fighter with a 12-1 record before helping to transform women's MMA. The American went 7-0 before eventually losing to Cris Cyborg for the Strikeforce title in 2009. That event was a pivotal moment for women's MMA as it was the first time that a female fight headlined an MMA event. Carano was so popular she went on to star in movies whilst also being inducted into the MMA Hall of Fame in 2015.

UFC President Dana White knew the potential of this main event fight and tried to put it together for his promotion in 2024. He offered Gina $1million to step back into the octagon but the fight ultimately feel apart. The short version is that Gina wanted some time to quietly find a gym and start preparing but Dana started announcing to the world that the fight was made. One thing led to another, Dana sent profanity laced messages and Carano put an end to proceedings. The American recently discussed why she decided against the venture on Joe Rogan's podcast:

"That was gonna be something exciting for me and I was excited to be back in that world and I was excited to do something like that. I respect Ronda and I thought that was exciting but after like... you just can't go back into that world and feel instantly disrespected on so many levels, so I was like I'm cool I'm gonna go and I think another movie came up so I was like sweet I'll just go do this movie then."

Uncle Dana has done a lot of amazing things for this sport as evidenced by it's huge rise in popularity and the incredible Paramount deal, and to his credit he has apologized to Gina for how he handled this situation but I'll let you draw your own conclusions on this one. 

Carano's opponent, Ronda Rousey, was also the undisputed queen of MMA during her prime. The Olympic Judo Bronze medallist went into MMA in 2017 and took the sport by storm. She became the Strikeforce champion and went on to dominate the UFC Bantamweight division; winning six straight fights by stoppage. Eventually Holly Holm unceremoniously took the crown and Amanda Nunes did what she does best to also beat the American but the Rousey star was already born and she went on to film movies and transition into WWE where she also became the champion.

Nate Diaz along with his brother Nick have always been hugely popular in the MMA world and both had massive fan bases. Nate has also had an impressive career that really began by winning The Ultimate Fighter 5. The American twice fought for UFC gold; firstly against Benson Henderson for the Lightweight crown and more recently against Jorge Masvidal to become the BMF champion. Although he didn't claim either of those belts Nate racked up huge wins over Jim Miller, Cowboy Cerrone, Tony Ferguson, Anthony Pettis and Connor McGregor. The man is a legend of the game and will bring more championship credibility and an army of fans to this event, and that is why it has been widely reported that Diaz is set to receive a staggerying $10million for this bout with "Platinum" Mike Perry.

Courtesy of UFC.com

Now where to begin with Francis N'gannou; the man is a devastating knockout machine who has made a career of sending top fighters to the shadow realm. The power in his hands alone is worth an entry fee and his career is a testament to that. The Heavyweight entered the UFC with a 5-1 record and what followed was a 6 fight win streak including finishes against Arlovski, Blaydes, Hamilton, Henrique and a truly jaw droppingly brutal demolition of former champion Alistair Overeem. That uppercut was one of the two scariest things I've ever witnessed in the Octagon.

The Cameroonian lost his first title shot to Stipe Miocic and took a while to recover his confidence and learn the lessons Stipe had so brutally exposed in his game. To Francis’ credit he humbled himself and came back new and improved to take the title in their rematch N'gannou has spoken highly and often about Miocic typified by N'gannou's farewell message to the American:

"Thank you, champion Stipe Miocic, for all you've done for our sport and, above all, for the class you embody and the example you set. I'm grateful for how our battles have shaped me into a better fighter; those moments taught me more than years in the sport.".

After falling out with the UFC over pay (shock and indeed horror) the Cameroonian became the latest in a line of MMA stars that left the sport at the height of their powers. Eventually, N'Gannou entered the world of Heavyweight boxing where he lost both of his fights to Tyson Fury in 2023 and then Anthony Joshua in 2024. Whilst the latter was a clear win for the British boxer the bout with Fury ended as a split decision surrounded in controversy. Such was the backlash that global sports stars like LeBron James and Nate Diaz labelled the decision a "robbery". The results may have gone against him but these fights only added to his aura. His global star power grew and his presence on this MVP card will draw intrigue from boxing fans MMA fans and casuals alike. 

There's another relatively well known name on this card and that's none other than Michigan's very own "Platinum" Mike Perry. The American Middleweight may not have the same level of success in the octagon but the former UFC fighter entered the promotion with a perfect 7-0 record and an explosive, aggressive style. His mixed bag record never got him into srious contention but he did rack up notable wins over Jake Ellenberger, Alex, Reyes, Paul Felder, and Micky Gall - if you don't know those names you can put yourself firmly in the "normie" demographic. His brawling "street fighting" style may have held him back in the rankings but his entertaining fights and personality gained him millions of followers on social media. That's what got him a big contract as a face of Bare Knuckle boxing and a place on this card.

Conclusion

The stellar credentials and popularity of these fighters across MMA, boxing, and show business are the keys to the success of this card. As MMA fans it's easy to forget not everybody knows who all the P4P top 10 are, but a hell of a lot of people who have never had anything to do with the sport know who Gina Carano, Ronda Rousey, Francis N'gannou and Nate Diaz are. That star power is what will bring millions of viewers to this event; whether it's newcomers who saw Ronda in a movie once, boxing fans who have seen N'gannou competing against two of the sport's greats, or MMA enthusiasts who are very familiar with all of them.

Having another player in the market helping to bring significant options and resources to MMA fighters will help stop the sport from losing its stars to other sports and media pursuits. Several of this card's biggest stars all left MMA to make more money after having problems with the UFC; Carano went to make movies, Rousey did the same and even headed to the WWE, whilst N'Gannou traded the octagon for the boxing ring. If MVP can make this model work then not only will they grow MMA as a sport but they will also create a better landscape for its audiences and its athletes by offering a genuine choice, not just UFC or bust.

Gina Carano, Ronda Rousey, Francis N'Gannou, and Nate Diaz is a lineup of MMA royalty. They have all been superstars of the MMA world, bringing millions of eyes to the sport for decades, and any one of them is worthy of headlining an event. MVP are banking on their collective star power and impressive resumes to strike gold one more time, by transforming MMA events into "mainstream cultural events". Only time will tell if they succeed, but it's going to be an exciting ride finding out.

The entire event will be streamed live on Netflix from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on May 26th with prelims starting at 5pm (ET), 11pm (GMT).

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