Ronda Rousey isn’t done taking aim at the UFC just yet, especially one executive in particular. Months after headlining the inaugural MVP MMA event against fellow women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano, the former UFC bantamweight champion has blasted the promotion’s Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell once again, this time accusing him of simply failing to recognize the value of a fight that went on to become one of the year’s biggest combat sports events.

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Speaking to Fight Culture, ‘Rowdy’ recalled Campbell bluntly telling Gina Carano that he didn’t know how to market a fight between two women in their 40s. Ronda Rousey claims the 17 million global viewership success of their fight proved the UFC executive completely wrong before launching into a scathing assessment of Campbell’s abilities as an executive.

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“It was extremely validating,” Rousey said. “Especially after Hunter Campbell told Gina that he didn’t know how he was going to market a couple of 40-year-olds. That’s what he said, and so it was really nice to kind of take that comment and throw it into his face.

“It’s not that he doesn’t know how to market us, it’s that he doesn’t know how to market f—– anybody, and he missed a huge opportunity letting us go, because now, in his own arrogance, basically allowed us to create the Lamborghini to his Ferrari.”

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But Ronda Rousey didn’t stop there, as the MMA legend then took things up a notch by throwing some very personal remarks at Hunter Campbell.

Ronda Rousey

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“He created the hugest rival that the UFC’s ever going to have just because he’s so arrogant, stupid, and chauvinist,” the 39-year-old stated.

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The comments follow the success of MVP MMA’s debut event in May, where ‘Rowdy’ defeated Gina Carano in the night’s main event just 17 seconds into the fight, with former UFC fighters Nate Diaz, Francis Ngannou, Mike Perry, and Junior dos Santos also competing on the card. According to later reports, the event garnered a whopping peak viewership of 17 million on Netflix, making it one of the most-viewed MMA events in history.

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The event’s success appears to have piqued the Dana White-led promotion’s interest. Since then, the promotion has signed several fighters that competed at the May 16 event, including Salahdine Parnasse and Robelis Despaigne, as well as Namo Fazil, who has also earned a spot on the upcoming season of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Ronda Rousey’s latest criticism continues on a campaign she carried out throughout the buildup to MVP MMA, accusing the UFC of mishandling talent and even labeling it the “worst place to make money” in combat sports.

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While Ronda Rousey is basking proudly in the event’s success and announced her retirement after defeating Carano, hoping to go out on a high note, it seems like she is reconsidering whether that win will be the final chapter of her fighting career.

Ronda Rousey leaves the door open for another MVP MMA fight

There is a major update for fans of Ronda Rousey, as when asked if she would compete in a second MVP MMA event, the former UFC champion refused to rule it out.

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“We’ll see,” Rousey added. “We need to kind of reconvene and see what the future looks like. I think everyone is just kind of decompressing and getting back to post-that huge of an event fight life.”

Ronda Rousey retired from the UFC in 2016 after two consecutive knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes before moving on to professional wrestling with WWE.

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Her comeback win over Gina Carano gets her career a far different and more fitting ending than the way she walked out of the UFC and MMA back in 2016. So, it would be interesting to see if ‘Rowdy’ decides to fiddle with that idea.

It is also worth noting that her comments come as Cris Cyborg continues to press for a long-awaited fight between the two women’s MMA legends. Cyborg, who is due to defend her PFL featherweight belt against Ketlen Vieira on August 22 in what has been described as her retirement fight, revived calls for a fight against Ronda Rousey after news of the PFL and MVP partnership.

“Hey @RondaRousey I have an idea,” Cyborg wrote on X.

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It remains to be seen whether that long-discussed fight will become a reality. For now, Rousey has made one thing clear: despite announcing her retirement in May, she does not rule out a return to MMA.

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Abhishek Kumar Das

3,574 Articles

Abhishek Kumar Das is a Senior Combat Sports writer at EssentiallySports, known for his sharp extensive coverage of the UFC and WWE. Specializing as the go-to expert on Joe Rogan, Abhishek provides nuanced reporting on the evolving discourse surrounding Rogan’s influence on combat sports and its intersection with American politics. Over the past three years, he has built a reputation for delivering timely breaking news and thoughtful analysis, often exploring off-court drama and current affairs tied to the fight world. Before joining EssentiallySports, Abhishek honed his writing skills through various freelance projects and content writing internships with multiple media outlets. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs and has additional certifications in Digital Marketing and content strategies. He also possesses proficiency in Spanish language and literature. His work, blending creative content with strong editorial skills, has made him a respected figure across fight journalism circles and a key voice among American combat sports fans.

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Gokul Pillai

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