“It’s why their champions like Valentina [Shevchenko] are selling pictures…on OnlyFans.” This month, MMA legend Ronda Rousey sparked controversy by taking a jab at her former employer over low fight pay. At the same time, she also targeted the UFC women’s flyweight champion and other UFC athletes for maintaining profiles on the subscription-based platform, which is often seen as an adult-oriented source of income. As a result, her remarks ignited a heated debate within the MMA community. Amid the growing tension, a UFC top star entered the conversation.

Recently, UFC rank 5 flyweight Maycee Barber, ahead of her fight this week against Alexa Grasso at UFC Seattle, sat down for an interview to discuss her upcoming bout. With a win, she aims to face the current champion, Valentina Shevchenko, in the future. During the interview, the discussion naturally shifted toward the ongoing beef between Rousey and Shevchenko. When the host asked Barber about Ronda Rousey’s comments, she directly blamed ‘Bullet’.

UFC fighter publicly backs Ronda Rousey amid ongoing feud

“Ronda Rousey is the reason why Valentina gets to fight in the UFC,” Barber said via MMA Fighting. “And Valentina’s lack of personality is the reason why Valentina has an OnlyFans.”

Barber is not wrong. While Valentina Shevchenko holds belts in Muay Thai, kickboxing, and MMA, the three fighting formats, a rare achievement, nothing in MMA matches Ronda Rousey’s aura. In her short career, ‘Rowdy’ trailblazed the sport, opened the door for women in the UFC, and put the promotion on a global stage, even before Conor McGregor’s rise.

Back in 2011, a paparazzo asked Dana White about women in the UFC, and he bluntly replied, “Never.” Yet, just a few months later, Ronda Rousey joined the UFC through the UFC-Strikerforce deal, thereby proving the skeptics wrong. She quickly silenced the women MMA haters, and after that, Rousey never looked back. In her next six fights, she decisively finished opponents like Miesha Tate and Liz Carmouche. She continued her dominance until 2015, when Holly Holm put Rousey to sleep with a second-round knockout. Later, Amanda Nunes defeated her again, which ultimately forced Rousey to retire from the UFC due to “concussion” concerns.

Even in just her brief three-year UFC career, Rousey made an enormous impact. For instance, UFC 193, headlined by Ronda Rousey, drew over 56,000 attendees, setting a UFC attendance record at the time. The event generated $6.8 million in live gate revenue and sold 1,100,000 PPV buys.

Furthermore, in her other fights, ‘Rowdy’ consistently showcased her immense drawing power, with fans purchasing an estimated total of over 4,480,000 PPVs for her headliner bouts. Indeed, these numbers are achievements only a handful of elite MMA fighters have reached, which led Dana White to recognize Ronda Rousey as part of his “Mount Rushmore,” alongside stars like Jon Jones and GSP.

These remarkable numbers not only helped the UFC grow but also cemented Rousey’s legacy as one of the GOATs in women’s MMA, thereby earning her a place on Dana White’s “Mount Rushmore” alongside stars like Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and GSP. Consequently, she also boosted her net worth, which now stands around $14 million.

At the same time, while Ronda Rousey may not have pursued some of the more notorious ventures that other UFC stars explore, she instead focused on wrestling and major Hollywood projects, including Fast and Furious and other franchises.

On the other hand, Valentina Shevchenko, like several other UFC stars, leverages OnlyFans to engage with her fans and earn income, taking full advantage of the platform’s broad reach in the Western world. However, Shevchenko has never used the platform in the way Ronda Rousey might have imagined. Now, the Kyrgyzstani star herself speaks out.

Valentina Shevchenko responds to Ronda Rousey’s allegations

In 2026, the topic of how Dana White and Co. pay their fighters is no longer hidden. UFC critics like Eddie Hearn and Jake Paul openly take aim at the promotion from time to time. Although the UFC operates today as a double-billion-dollar powerhouse, it still pays many fighters like entry-level athletes, around $12,000, which forces numerous stars to take on other jobs alongside their fighting careers.

Simultaneously, the promotion draws accusations of favoritism, as it rewards top draws like Ilia, Conor McGregor, and Ronda Rousey with significantly higher pay. Consequently, many fighters pursue alternative income streams, including OnlyFans. Last year, former bantamweight title challenger Cory Sandhagen revealed that he earned around two million dollars by selling private content on the platform.

Although many view OnlyFans strictly as an adult-content site, it offers much more. Specifically, it allows fighters to engage directly with fans, similar to how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors provide private lessons or exclusive performances.

Furthermore, Valentina Shevchenko, who also uses OnlyFans, addressed this directly following Ronda Rousey’s remark. She wrote on Instagram, “It’s 2026. Fighters using OnlyFans is just a new way to connect with fans. Looks like Ronda slept too long after her last fight in 2016.”

Today, Shevchenko shares strictly lifestyle content on OnlyFans. Similarly, other fighters, including Ailín Pérez and Amanda Ribas, also earn through the platform by posting lifestyle content, which now reaches an estimated $8 billion in net worth. Clearly, Shevchenko uses OnlyFans responsibly.

That said, what’s your take on her legacy compared to Ronda Rousey? Do you think Dana White & Co. appear in a negative light because their fighters’ activity draws criticism from fans across the internet? Share your thoughts below.