Fighting for a bigger cause - the Rousey show returns

Ronda Rousey has won 12 of her 14 professional fights

Ronda Rousey remembers vividly the moment she first believed she could achieve anything that she wanted to.

In 1984. her mother, AnnMaria De Mars, became the first American to win a gold medal at the World Judo Championships.

De Mars lit a fire inside Rousey which hasn't stopped burning.

From winning Olympic judo bronze for America in 2008 to being the first woman to sign for the UFC. Rousey has built a career on doing the seemingly impossible.

While UFC president Dana White once said no woman would ever fight in the promotion, Rousey not only did it but became one of the company's biggest. best paid stars.

Then there was a spell in WWE where she again fought for equality for women, to becoming an actress, best-selling author. a mother.

Now Rousey's fire is ablaze with a new challenge.

On Saturday. the 39-year-old is set to end a 10-year retirement from MMA when she faces fellow American Gina Carano in a featherweight bout at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

Not only does Rousey want to "rewrite her ending" in the sport, she wants to challenge the UFC, campaign for better fighter pay. dip her toes into promoting.

Rousey told BBC Sport she has one simple message for White and the other UFC chiefs: "Pay the fighters better. I wouldn't be here if you paid fighters better."

There has never been a mainstay, major female promoter in MMA or boxing.

Like her previous endeavours, Rousey is fighting for a bigger cause.

"It's not just about men or women now. It's about giving fighters their power back and reminding people it's about the fighters," said Rousey.

"It's not a brand, it's about the fighters. I want them to be able to reap the rewards of their labour."

Carano bout to 'smash' women's fight pay record - Rousey

The event is being promoted by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and will be broadcast live on Netflix.

It also features former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou taking on Philipe Lins. fan favourite Nate Diaz facing Mike Perry.

Nakisa Bidarian, who co-founded MVP alongside Paul, compares the event with Paul's fight with Mike Tyson in 2024, which was the first boxing contest broadcast live on Netflix. laid the foundations for future events on the platform.

Not only is Rousey headlining the card, she has played a key role in shaping it, playing the role of promoter. matchmaker behind the scenes.

This isn't just a Ronda Rousey fight, it is the Ronda Rousey show.

"Her quote was, 'I can't be your Conor [McGregor], but I can be your Dana [White]'," said Bidarian.

"She has demonstrated an ability to own the promotion, to deliver unbelievable, engaging content,. most importantly, she loves the game.

"She'll text me 20, 30 times every other day around specific fighters, or specific fights,. why this match-up would be great."

Rousey has criticised how much the UFC pays its fighters. saying she wants to help "challenge the monolith" it has become.

In the UFC. under 20% of revenue goes to fighter pay while in boxing, fighters can expect to receive as much as 60% of event revenue.

Bidarian says the minimum payment for every fighter on the card will be $40,000 (£28,800), before performance-based bonuses.

In comparison, the UFC pays about $12,000 (£8,960) to $20,000 (£14,900), plus performance-based bonuses, to its entry-level fighters.

"It's so much more meaningful now because previously it would have just affected our careers. now it's affecting the sport's future," said Rousey.

"It has become bigger than us.

"It's about giving them their power back and reminding people it's about the fighters."

Rousey was paid a reported $3m for her last UFC fight in 2016

Bidarian worked at the UFC during Rousey's historic run from 2013. where she defended her bantamweight title six times before defeat by Holly Holm.

He says during her prime, Rousey had no equal.

"Only two females in history at any moment in time in professional sports have been the biggest male or female in their genre. or in their sport," said Bidarian.

"One is Ronda Rousey, and one is Serena Williams."

Because of this, Bidarian says Rousey is the perfect person to spearhead MVP's debut in the MMA market.

Rousey wants to set a new record for the most viewed MMA fight of all time. aiming for nine million-plus viewers.

That goal is being debated relentlessly, as is Rousey's return. Can she compete again?

With Carano 44 years old and having not competed for 17 years, the competitiveness of the bout has been questioned.

Both fighters have had extra concussion tests withRousey acknowledgingshe was forced to retire from the UFC in 2016. of repeated concussions.

She lost her last two UFC fights via knockout, leaving the octagon a shadow of the fighter people had known.

Rousey has pushed those concerns aside. insisting"it's not like my ovaries are fighting"and describing the contest as the "biggest fight in the world".

"I'm so grateful - not just that this moment is happening - but where and with who," said Rousey.

"This is the best way to be able to end it. It's the ending that it deserves."

Despite Rousey hinting the fight may be the last of her storied career. Bidarian is hoping she kick-starts a new era for MMA.

"This is a test. Let's see how it goes. If it goes well, 1,000% there's going to be more MMA on Netflix," said Bidarian.

"We would introduce our own belts and build out a roster.

"And Ronda has been pretty clear that she wants to be the 'Dana White' of that entity."

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