This Saturday night, the MVP MMA card featuring Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano will stream live on Netflix. And MVP co-founder Jake Paul has made bold claims about the event, even comparing it to June’s UFC Freedom 250 card. ‘The Problem Child’ believes the premier MMA promotion has lost touch with its fanbase, a point he emphasized during a recent interview on Ariel Helwani’s show.
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“I think there [are] a lot of weird things happening over at that organization,” Paul said. “And… they’ve sort of, I believe, lost touch with the pulse of their fans and [they are not] making the fights that people want to see. I think fans are starting to not be as happy with the way things are run and the fights that are being made, the cards that are being put together.
“And obviously, I don’t know anything that goes on behind the scenes, but you can kind of feel that as well. Like I’m a fan of the UFC. I have been since I was maybe 12, 13 years old. And I’ve also noticed a difference just in the organization. And it’s hard to say what it is, but it just doesn’t have as much hype anymore.”
Despite Paul’s claims, UFC has not only secured a $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, but reports in March also revealed that TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC, announced first-quarter 2026 dividend payouts to stockholders totaling approximately $150 million. Recent UFC events have also continued to deliver strong numbers, thanks to the new subscription model.
Meanwhile, Paul’s MVP MMA card relies entirely on Netflix’s subscription base. The event features several fighters past their prime, along with Francis Ngannou facing a relatively unknown opponent. Although Ronda Rousey’s return is significant, Gina Carano’s inactivity over a decade raises questions about how competitive it will actually be.
Still, that hasn’t stopped Paul from comparing the card to UFC’s upcoming historic White House event on May 16.
“You wouldn’t want to compete with this show, and I don’t think they could,” Paul said about UFC. “They’re already comparing this, our first MMA event, to the most promoted and talked about card, which is UFC [Freedom] 250 at the White House. And people are saying our card is better for our first event.
Jake Paul explains why he believes @MostVpromotions’ debut MMA card is stronger than the UFC’s White House event: "I think they're at the same level, to be honest, but mostly because of the White House. If we just talk talent and names, then our card is better."
“So I don’t think they would want to compete, and I don’t think they could compete. I think they’re at the same level, to be honest, but mostly because of the White House. If we were just talking talent and names, then our card is better.”
The UFC Freedom 250 card features stars like Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Alex Pereira, Ciryl Gane, Sean O’Malley, and Diego Lopes, just to name a few—all elite names with massive fan followings. By comparison, outside of two or three recognizable stars, the MVP card lacks depth. And many of the notable fighters they do have are there largely because the UFC no longer saw much value in them, with perhaps the exception of Ronda Rousey.
And that’s not an unpopular opinion.
Former UFC star doesn’t have the best view of Jake Paul-promoted Rousey vs. Carano
Matt Brown isn’t buying into the hype surrounding the fight between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. While the event is expected to generate massive viewership, Brown doubts fans will actually enjoy what they see once the cage door closes.
“It will do big numbers, but who is actually going to care?” Brown said. “I think we’re going to feel the same thing with this fight. Feel like we wasted our time.”
The retired UFC star compared the matchup to spectacle-driven events like Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. He suggested fans may tune in more for curiosity than competitive value. Brown also questioned Carano’s motivation for returning after 17 years away from MMA.
“I don’t know if Gina even really cares,” Brown said. “Clearly she was done fighting and had no intention to fight again, and then she gets a call, and they offer her enough money where she’s like ‘OK, well, I’ll do that.’”
It’s safe to say Jake Paul is good at tooting his own horn. But the reality is very different. While there’s no doubt people will clamor to watch Ronda Rousey fight or Francis Ngannou return to action, the fact is that the UFC Freedom 250 card is perhaps a hundred times better than Rousey vs. Carano.
