Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano made history by headlining MVP MMA 1 on Netflix after lengthy retirements from combat sports. Although the fight lasted less than 17 seconds, with Rousey securing a quick victory via her trademark armbar submission, the event still highlighted the immense star power both women continue to carry. One of the biggest talking points leading into fight week was the fighter pay structure offered by MVP compared to the UFC.
Rousey had openly criticized Dana White and Hunter Campbell in the lead-up to the event, accusing the UFC of underpaying fighters and maintaining restrictive contracts. With that in mind, the financial side of MVP MMA 1 drew significant attention after the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) released the official disclosed purses through executive director Andy Foster on Saturday.
Unlike the UFC’s traditional show-and-win structure, every athlete on the card received a flat fee regardless of the result. The disclosed numbers also do not include potential discretionary bonuses, revenue tied to Netflix viewership, or earnings from ticket sales. Notably, no fighter on the MVP MMA 1 card earned less than $40,000 in disclosed pay, a figure that comfortably exceeds the UFC’s standard entry-level purse of $12,000 to show and $12,000 to win.
The main event fighters earned the biggest paydays of the night. Rousey topped the payroll with a reported $2.2 million purse in her first fight since suffering back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes nearly a decade ago. While the figure falls short of the estimated $4.88 million she earned at UFC 207, it still marked a massive payday for a comeback bout after years away from competition.
Payouts for MVP MMA tonight from the CSAC pic.twitter.com/9QNbdYgtV4
— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) May 17, 2026
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Carano, meanwhile, reportedly earned $1.05 million for her first fight in 17 years. The women’s MMA pioneer returned to action for the first time since her 2009 loss to Cris Cyborg and secured one of the biggest purses on the card despite the quick defeat. However, Carano was not the second-highest-paid fighter of the event.
That distinction belonged to Francis Ngannou, who earned $1.5 million after demolishing Philipe Lins with a brutal first-round knockout. Lins received a disclosed payout of $100,000, though Ngannou later handed over his own $100,000 performance bonus to the Brazilian veteran following the fight, a generous gesture on what proved to be a difficult night for Lins.
Meanwhile, Nate Diaz pocketed a reported $500,000 for his return to MMA after stepping away from the UFC to pursue boxing over the last few years. Diaz had previously held discussions with the UFC regarding a possible comeback, including interest in a trilogy fight against Conor McGregor, but the Stockton native ultimately chose to sign with MVP for his clash against Mike Perry.
Perry, on the other hand, earned $400,000 after continuing his rise as one of the biggest names in bare-knuckle fighting through BKFC. The former UFC welterweight delivered a dominant performance against Diaz across 10 minutes, capping off an impressive showing with a sizable payday for his efforts.
Full Rousey vs. Carano disclosed payouts
- Ronda Rousey – $2.2 million
- Francis Ngannou – $1.5 million
- Gina Carano – $1.05 million
- Nate Diaz – $500,000
- Mike Perry – $400,000
- Jason Jackson – $110,000
- Philipe Lins – $100,000
- Junior Dos Santos – $80,000
- Adriano Moraes – $80,000
- Salahdine Parnasse – $70,000
- Phumi Nkuta – $60,000
- Kenneth Cross – $50,000
- Robelis Despaigne – $50,000
- Jeff Creighton – $50,000
- David Mgoyan – $50,000
- Chris Avila – $50,000
- Namo Fazil – $40,000
- Jake Babian – $40,000
- Albert Morales – $40,000
- Aline Pereira – $40,000
- Jade Masson-Wong – $40,000
- Brandon Jenkins – $40,000
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.