Bold claim: Ronda Rousey just turned up the heat on the UFC by lining up a bout with Gina Carano, and she’s betting it will outpace UFC runnings on Paramount+.
Damon Martin, a longtime combat sports insider and journalist since 2003, has covered the sport extensively.
Rousey’s upcoming clash with Carano is set for May 16 and will be promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, which adds an extra layer of intrigue to the event. Interestingly, Rousey has said she originally pitched the Carano fight to UFC CEO Dana White, but for reasons not disclosed, it didn’t come to fruition at the time.
With this new arrangement, Rousey is throwing down a challenge, suggesting that her Netflix-broadcasted bout could eclipse the ratings of UFC’s Paramount+ offerings.
“this rivalry has so many layers,” Rousey commented on Twitter. “Netflix isn’t playing around. Bet you we can beat Paramount+ UFC numbers.”
Back in her prime, Rousey stood as one of the UFC’s top two stars, alongside Conor McGregor, with fights that commanded massive public attention regardless of opponent. She also drew broad crossover interest from mainstream sports fans by delivering swift, decisive performances.
Netflix’s enormous reach—over 300 million subscribers—helps explain why past Netflix card events, like Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford, posted massive viewership. By comparison, Paramount+ has just over 79 million subscribers.
The UFC’s January debut on Paramount+ drew close to 5 million viewers, but expectations are high that Rousey and Carano will surpass that figure, aided by Netflix’s platform.
Meanwhile, the UFC isn’t idle: a highly anticipated White House event card is scheduled for June 14, roughly a month after the Rousey-Carano showdown.
Although Rousey has long maintained a strong bond with the UFC since stepping away from competition in 2016, this development signals a willingness to test the promotion’s ratings performance in a direct comparison—and it’s sure to spark plenty of discussion about where the sport stands in the streaming era.
Would you watch a Netflix-backed Rousey vs. Carano showdown over the UFC’s Paramount+ card, or do other factors (promotion, timing, undercard quality) matter more when deciding where to tune in?
