Ronda Rousey Fires Back at UFC's Hunter Campbell After Netflix Success

Ronda Rousey believes the huge success of her MMA return on Netflix proved UFC executive Hunter Campbell made a costly mistake by passing on the event.

Rousey returned to the cage in May for a one-off fight against Gina Carano after the UFC reportedly declined to promote the matchup, believing both women were past their peak. The bout was instead staged by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), with former UFC stars Francis Ngannou, Nate Diaz and Mike Perry also appearing on the card.

The event attracted up to 17 million viewers, far exceeding expectations.

"It was extremely validating," Rousey told The Fight Culture. "Hunter Campbell told Gina he didn't know how to market a couple of 40-year-olds. Seeing those numbers made it feel great to prove him wrong."

Rousey went on to criticize Campbell, arguing the UFC missed a major opportunity and allowed MVP to emerge as a serious rival in the MMA market.

Before the event, Rousey said she would have been satisfied with more than 9 million viewers, a mark that would have surpassed the audience for the 2011 UFC title fight between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez on FOX.

MVP CEO Nakisa Bidarian and Rousey have hinted that more MMA events could follow, although no plans have been announced. Rousey said she hopes any future shows are treated as major attractions rather than routine fight cards.

"I want every event to feel special," Rousey said. "That's what's missing in MMA. Fights shouldn't become background noise every weekend—they should feel like must-watch events."