Ronda Rousey reacted to UFC president Dana White announcing the return of Conor McGregor at UFC 329 during the MVP MMA card.
Rousey fought Gina Carano in the main event of MVP MMA, which aired live on Netflix. Rousey needed just 17 seconds to finish her opponent, as a quick toss and an armbar sealed Carano’s fate.
During the card, the UFC made a special announcement, as White went live on his Instagram to announce the rematch between McGregor and Max Holloway for UFC 329, plus the rest of that card’s bout order. Fans and media had speculated the UFC might try to counterprogram Netflix, and indeed, that’s what happened, as White made his announcement at the same time former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou was making his walk to the MVP MMA hexagon.
Ronda Rousey Reacts to Dana White’s Announcement
Speaking to reporters following MVP MMA, Rousey was asked what she thought about White announcing McGregor vs. Holloway 2 at UFC 329 while Ngannou was making his walk to the cage.
“I mean, it’s kind of catty. But it also shows that they see MVP MMA as a threat, that they would do it in that moment, and do it at that time. So I feel like it’s also a compliment because it elevates MVP MMA and says they’re declaring that they see us as a real rival, and I think that’s such a compelling story, and now they’re helping us tell it,” Rousey said.
What’s Next for Ronda Rousey?
Rousey returned to the cage for the first time in nearly a decade for this fight with Carano, but afterward, she said that she was going back into retirement. She plans on having more children with her husband, former UFC heavyweight fighter Travis Browne, and also revealed during her post-fight press conference that she is moving to Hawaii, where Browne’s family is from.
That being said, there are plenty of fans who would love to see Rousey fight again. There are former rivals, such as Holly Holm and Cat Zingano, who would be interesting rematches for Rousey, so although she said that she’s done, there are still fights out there that the fans would like to see. She might be 39 years old, but she showed against Carano that she still has her speed, reflexes, and athleticism intact.
Rousey was paid $2.2 million for this fight against Carano in terms of disclosed pay, though she may have gotten paid more money that wasn’t declared. That’s a massive payday for her, especially given this fight only lasted 17 seconds. It was a great night for Rousey and a great night for MMA in general, as another big-time promotion declared they are here to stay and rival the UFC if they stick around. We will see if MVP MMA ends up running another event, but with or without Rousey, based on the timing of the UFC’s announcement for the McGregor vs. Holloway 2 fight, it feels like White had his guard up and tried his best to take attention away from this event.
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