Ronda Rousey reveals MVP MMA base pay is four times higher than UFC

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 15: Ronda Rousey speaks onstage at Rousey vs. Carano NYC Press Conference at The Palladium on April 15, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix) | Getty Images for Netflix

Jake Paul’s MVP and Ronda Rousey aren’t just talking trash about UFC’s pay structure, they’re countering it by paying their own athletes much better … even those at the very bottom of the card.

MVP MMA 1 on May 16th features Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano, Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins, and Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry. All six fighters headlining in the ‘triple header’ are undoubtedly getting paid big bucks, but what about those further down the card? While MVP did a good job of stacking things, there’s still four fights on the card with smaller names. According to Ronda Rousey, who is acting as co-promoter as well as headliner for the event, they’re all gonna make at least $40,000 each.

“I think it’s really important that we raise the ceiling, but also that we raise the floor,” Rousey said at the MVP MMA 1 press conference. “And one thing that is really important in this fight is the absolute minimum that anybody will walk away with — even if they don’t have a big, long record and even if they lose — is $40K.”

“If you fight three times in a year, that’s much more than a living wage, and that’s something the UFC cannot say.”