Ronda Rousey wants fan-made fights and new MMA system

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Ronda Rousey says she’s got big plans for MMA beyond her return to the octagon.

The former UFC bantamweight champion is set to make her first appearance in nearly ten years when she headlines the inaugural Netflix card on May 16.

She’ll be facing Gina Carano, another trailblazer in women’s MMA, on a night that also features comebacks from Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz.

While this bout is expected to be Rousey’s last, she has no intention of stepping away from the sport completely.

Ronda Rousey believes she can help grow MMA in new role

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The 39-year-old has also been outspoken about her former employer, taking issue with the UFC’s contract structure and questioning Hunter Campbell’s influence within the organisation.

She now plans to carve out a similar role under the Most Valuable Promotions banner, claiming she has more experience to lead the sport than Campbell.

And if she does land a leadership position at MVP MMA, Rousey says her first order of business would be to move away from title-focused matchmaking and put more emphasis on fighter storylines.

“The point should be great fights,” Rousey told Sibley Scoles on ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT. “Who really cares about a title?

“I would love to do through MVP — if we continued to do this — is make every single person at home a matchmaker. What fight do you want to see next? Who do you think would match up great? Put on great fights for the sake of great fights.

“Titles and belts are almost constricting or they force fights that aren’t really great matchups. It should be about the fight itself,” she added.