Ronda Rousey is looking beyond her return to fighting, with plans for a long-term role in MMA after her comeback bout on May 16.
The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion is making her return to the sport nearly ten years after stepping away.
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She’s set to face Gina Carano in a Netflix event, which will be her first fight since losing to Amanda Nunes in December 2016.
While it’s expected to be a one-off appearance, Rousey has made it clear she wants to stay involved in the sport beyond just competing.
Photo by Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images
Rousey eyes leadership role at MVP if Netflix debut proves a hit
Unless a rematch with Carano becomes necessary, Rousey plans to step away from MMA for good after her fight on May 16. Still, that doesn’t mean she intends to leave the sport behind entirely or shift her focus elsewhere.
Speaking with TMZ before her return at Inglewood’s Intuit Dome, Rousey responded to Nakisa Bidarian’s comments about Most Valuable Promotions possibly sticking around in MMA if the Netflix event is a success.
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If that happens, ‘Rowdy’ has made it clear she wants to be MVP’s version of Dana White and believes she’d outperform UFC executive Hunter Campbell in the role.
“I mean, I think nobody is more qualified than me,” Rousey said. “I’m definitely more qualified than Hunter Campbell.
“I think that MVP would be an incredible partner and that Nakisa and Jake Paul really believe in making sure the fighters are compensated fairly.
“The sport is at a crossroads… there’s a huge opportunity here. I’m seeing it right now with MVP and Netflix and MMA,” she continued. “(If) this event is a huge success, there’s a huge opportunity to take over the market share in MMA and show everybody what they’ve been missing.
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“The UFC, I think, has forgot that the fighters are the stars and that the characters are what people tune into see… I would love to be (MVP’s) Dana and shepherd them into the future.”
If this event takes off like they hope it will, there’s a real chance for them to make a big impact on how things are done in MMA—and even pull some attention away from bigger players like UFC. And Ronda isn’t just excited about being part of that shift; she thinks people are ready for something new.
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