Rousey -vs- Carano

I did not watch this fight, or the event itself, because I didn't need to. There did seem to be a significant level of interest in the event, at least in terms of online chatter. It had a feeling reminiscent of the days when you could assemble a decent MMA card with non-UFC talent. That era is long gone, with the floundering PFL having done nothing with their purchase of Bellator — except welch on a bunch of inherited contracts and keep talent on the shelf to avoid paying top-dollar.

The UFC has almost all of the talent pool on lock, even though event quality is probably not even in their top 5 major concerns. So, as underwhelming as a card with Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano and Nate Diaz might seem — unless you somehow find yourself back in the early 2010's — this is the most star power out there that isn't locked away in a UFC deal.

It still wasn't enough to make me waste a Saturday night to watch. Reading the results was a mix of "no idea who that guy is" and "that seems about right" — like reading that a middle-aged Nate Diaz got bludgeoned by Mike Perry, or that Gina Carano had no ground game to speak of.

Francis Ngannou's career has basically stalled, so it's a good thing he got those boxing paydays because the UFC embargo on him shows no sign of ending.

The main event wasn't a fight I ever had an interest in. Even at Gina Carano's peak, she was nowhere near Rousey's level of competition; a 17-year layoff didn't help matters either. Regardless of how unlikeable Rousey comes across most of the time, you can't deny her talent and ability. The only fight that would pique my interest would be Cris Cyborg, but I think the odds of that happening are zero.

I am curious if this event was at all profitable for Netflix, and what it means for the future of the MMA landscape.

PUBLISHED: 2026-05-17