Ronda Rousey has once again proven her global star power, as Netflix revealed that 17 million people watched her MMA comeback victory over Gina Carano. The former UFC women's bantamweight champion needed just 15 seconds to submit Carano in the main event of Jake Paul's debut MMA show, shattering a long-standing viewership record held by Conor McGregor.
Record-Breaking Return
Rousey, who dominated the UFC's 135-pound division before retiring in 2016 after consecutive losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, returned to the cage after a 10-year hiatus. The bout, which aired free-to-air on Netflix, showcased the stark difference in skill between the two pioneers of women's MMA. Despite the brief fight, fans were glued to their screens, with the event drawing more viewers than any previous free-to-air MMA broadcast in the United States.
Comparing Viewership Numbers
The previous record for free-to-air MMA was set by UFC on Fox 1, where Junior dos Santos knocked out Cain Velasquez, peaking at nearly 9 million viewers. Kimbo Slice's bout with James Thompson on EliteXC drew over 7.2 million, while Rashad Evans' win over Phil Davis attracted 6.7 million. Tito Ortiz's knockout of Ken Shamrock on The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale brought in 6.5 million. In contrast, Conor McGregor's biggest pay-per-view fights, such as his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather (4.3 million) and his UFC bouts with Khabib Nurmagomedov (2.4 million) and Nate Diaz (1.6 million), were dwarfed by Rousey's free-to-air audience.
Future of MVP MMA
Jake Paul and MVP CEO Nakisa Bidarian expressed their commitment to staging more MMA events following the success of their debut show. In a joint statement, they said: 'We're incredibly proud of what was accomplished alongside our partners at Netflix and grateful to the athletes who helped make MVP MMA's debut such a success. We've received an overwhelming amount of interest from investors, strategic partners and fighters who want to be involved with MVP and the future of MVP MMA. We are currently reviewing all strategic options to do something very meaningful within MMA on a go-forward basis with distribution partners like Netflix that share our vision to create lasting impact.'
Rousey's record-breaking performance not only cements her legacy but also signals a new era for MMA viewership, with free-to-air streaming platforms potentially revolutionizing how fans consume the sport.
