Rousey vs. Carano was a fun encore for MMA stars of yesteryear — but clearly no threat to UFC
May 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Ronda Rousey (blue gloves) celebrates defeating Gina Carano (red gloves) after a women's featherweight bout at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix teamed up for a night of mixed martial arts (MMA) action last night (Sat. , May 16, 2026) at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California.
The card was headlined by Ronda Rousey’s submission victory over Gina Carano , which followed Mike Perry’s destruction of Nate Diaz , and Francis Ngannou’s snuff film starring Philipe Lins . From a production standpoint, it looked great and had a much different aesthetic from what we’re used to seeing with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Professional Fighters League (PFL) . Inside the cage, most of the fights delivered .
I’m sure some fans were disappointed by the lightning-quick finish in the main event , but the entire card was built around Rousey’s vanity project. Remember, this wasn’t a revolution — it was sloppy seconds. The only reason MVP and Netflix were in business with Rousey is because UFC passed on her offer to stage a one-off fight against Carano .
“Rowdy” would later declare war on UFC and shop her Carano fight to Nakisa Bidarian , the former UFC employee who co-founded MVP alongside social media personality Jake Paul. Bidarian had both the means and the availability to make it happen, thanks to his excellent track record with Netflix . Funny how Rousey didn’t seem to care these issues while she was making millions in UFC .
Last night’s card was not about building something new. It was an encore for some of the biggest names in the business who used to be a big deal in UFC. Diaz is 41-years-old and has a face like a catcher’s mitt after years of abuse — and is still three years younger than Carano, 44.