MMA News

Category: MVP

  • Holly Holm On Ronda Rousey’s Retirement: ‘I’d Always Be Open To Fight Her Again’

    Holly Holm On Ronda Rousey’s Retirement: ‘I’d Always Be Open To Fight Her Again’

    Holly Holm says she highly doubts Ronda Rousey will ever accept a rematch, but made clear the invitation has always been open and always will be.

    Holm spoke to MMA Fighting ahead of her boxing title fight against Stephanie Han on Saturday, with Rousey’s name coming up repeatedly following her 17-second submission of Gina Carano at MVP MMA 1.

    “Yes, a lot of talk with the Ronda fight. I highly doubt she’ll ever want a rematch. I always have said since the minute the last fight was over, I’ll always rematch her. That’s always been available. But she wanted to come back and have this win and go back and enjoy and have a win like that. No hate from me. I hope she does well. I hope she does whatever she wants with her life. That’s her life. I’d always be open to fight her again.”

    Holm was not surprised by how the Rousey-Carano fight ended, having witnessed Rousey do the same to ranked UFC fighters in her prime.

    “She did that a lot to women who were ranked at the top, Ronda was still doing that. You can’t judge someone who lost like that. You know what? It takes a lot of courage to step back in when you haven’t felt that in a long time and in that many years.”

    Holm also praised Carano for what it took to return after 17 years away.

    “To be able to come back after time off, it’s uncomfortable. Fights are uncomfortable. I don’t like it. I hate fight week. I hate fight day. I always have. It is very uncomfortable and that’s why a very small percentage of people can actually do this. It’s not just the physical aspect you put your body through. It is more emotionally and mentally. For her to come back and face it, that takes a lot of courage, too.”

    On Holm’s own legacy, she expressed pride in what her knockout of Rousey represented.

    “The whole reason why me beating her was such a big deal is because she was so dominant. You have to have a dominant champion in order to have a big upset. So I have all the respect for her and to her. I’ll never say anything negative. But then there’s like the fighter pride of things and a win is great but also to try to win that good or put that much of a stamp on something, anybody would be lying if they said they weren’t proud of it.”

    Holm fights Han in a boxing lightweight title rematch on Saturday. The original bout ended in a technical decision after a clash of heads caused a cut. Holm, 44, is a current MVP boxing signee.

  • Chael Sonnen Lays Out Exact Steps Gina Carano Needs To Take To Get Another Big Fight

    Chael Sonnen Lays Out Exact Steps Gina Carano Needs To Take To Get Another Big Fight

    Chael Sonnen says Gina Carano’s coach coming out to reveal she was “gutted” by her 17-second loss to Ronda Rousey was exactly the right move to keep her fighting career alive, and believes the only logical next opponent is Holly Holm.

    Sonnen had previously criticized Carano’s seemingly indifferent demeanor after the loss at MVP MMA 1. When coach John Wood revealed this week that Carano was devastated and considering another fight, Sonnen welcomed the update on his podcast.

    “This was very helpful. This was great that coach Wood came out and did this, because that was the part that was missing. I don’t know if Gina can get another walk. I don’t know if she can get another contract. It would be tough, and you’d need a lot of really perfect things to happen to get Gina, particularly in a headlining role. But that’s what happened with the Ronda fight. Nobody thought 240-pound, ex-fighter, 17 years removed, was going to get a headlining role, that sets records, that pays millions of dollars. Nobody thought that would happen, but everything lined up just right. So, it can be done, as long as the ingredient that she cares is part of this. And that’s why it was so helpful that coach Wood came out and said she’s gutted.”

    Sonnen explained why Carano’s post-fight demeanor was damaging and what needed to happen to course-correct.

    “This is great, because when Gina got up and smiled, and talked about how wonderful this was, and how proud she was for this moment, how grateful, it does break the deal with the audience. It literally could end her career that she got up and smiled and hugged it out, because now she’s letting everyone know, ‘I don’t care.’ And if you don’t care, then we can’t care. It’s not possible.”

    He laid out the formula Carano would need to follow to earn another opportunity.

    “Now what does she need? She needs to get back to the gym. Again, it’s just a story, guys. We don’t know if she didn’t care just because she looked like she didn’t. We don’t know if she’s gutted, just because her coach said she was. We don’t know if she’s back in the gym. It’s a story. But the story has to be told this way. If she truly cares and this is a passion of hers, she’d be back in the gym. Then, once you set the table in this way — she cares, she’s back, she’s in shape, she’s embarrassed, she’s coming back — then the fourth and final ingredient, which comes about a week from now, then you tell us the proposed opponent.”

    On who that opponent should be, Sonnen pointed to one name.

    “Gina’s putting pieces, but the final one is who? And then you’ve got to sit back and react. I don’t know what the community is going to do to the idea of Gina vs. Holly Holm. I just know that’s the direction. That’s the only possible direction. So you’ve got to build it, you’ve got to set it out there, and the community is going to jump on it. They’re either going to like it, or they’re not. But that’s still the way the game is played.”

    A rematch with Rousey is off the table following her retirement. Holm is the woman who handed Rousey her first career loss in 2015.

  • MVP Confirms Their MMA Plans Go Way Beyond A One-Off Netflix Event

    MVP Confirms Their MMA Plans Go Way Beyond A One-Off Netflix Event

    MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian says the promotion is fully committed to staying in MMA following the success of their Netflix debut, and believes there is a real opportunity to become the sport’s number two promotion.

    Speaking to Uncrowned, Bidarian laid out the vision for what comes next.

    “One hundred percent, MVP is in the MMA business. There is a clear opportunity to create an alternative avenue for fighters that truly represents the best of the sport and is fighters first. Our hope is that’s with our partners at Netflix. We’ve been very fortunate with the outreach we’ve gotten around what we did and what we accomplished and what we delivered.”

    Bidarian explained why he sees MMA as a better space to compete in than boxing.

    “Boxing is more difficult to own than MMA. UFC is obviously the reference brand. They’re going to be that for many years to come. But there’s no true No. 2 player. Boxing, there’s six or seven of us putting on premium big events every single week. So, do I think we can come and take a real share within the MMA sphere? Yes. Do I believe we can convince Netflix to do it on a more regular basis than they’ve shown to do so with boxing? If we have the product and we show them the path of how this can work and set expectations appropriately, and ask for the right amount of rights fees that are appropriate for that, my hope is that the answer is yes. But I will say that there’s Amazon, Fox, ESPN. There’s definitely other outlets that, once we present them this whole package, will have interest in what we’re doing.”

    MVP MMA 1 peaked at 17 million viewers on Netflix and drew a live attendance of 15,795 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

  • Chael Sonnen’s Breakdown Of Gina Carano’s MVP MMA 1 Failure Puts The Blame On A Specific Group

    Chael Sonnen’s Breakdown Of Gina Carano’s MVP MMA 1 Failure Puts The Blame On A Specific Group

    Chael Sonnen says Gina Carano’s team failed her at MVP MMA 1, pointing to her showing up five pounds underweight at the weigh-ins as evidence of unprofessionalism that set her up for failure.

    Carano weighed in at 141 pounds for the 145-pound featherweight bout, well below the contracted limit. She was submitted by Ronda Rousey in 17 seconds. Sonnen addressed both issues on Smash Cast.

    “Gina Carano shows up to the weigh-in at 141 pounds. I spoke to Gina one time in my life, and it was very pleasant; she treated me very respectfully and kindly — but this is a reality: Gina weighed in five pounds less than she needed to. Contracted weight of 145 and she got a one-pound allowance. They ask her ‘Why?’, and that is beyond unprofessional by everybody on that team. Whoever the coach is, the strength and conditioning coach, to get their athlete five pounds underweight, failed at their job. You can teach that to a nine or ten-year-old. If you’re underweight, you don’t need to cut more weight.”

    Sonnen said Carano also showed no urgency once the fight started.

    “Then she comes into a fist fight and doesn’t throw any punches, and doesn’t care. She could’ve quickly spun that — her days in Hollywood got taken from her, very unfairly. But she could’ve used a paycheck like this, and a Gina Carano vs. Holly Holm fight would’ve been really compelling. But not when you do it like that. You had an opportunity, and her team failed her. Those women botched the spot.”

    Carano has not responded to Sonnen’s remarks.

  • Gina Carano’s Coach Has Surprising Take On What Comes Next After Ronda Rousey Loss

    Gina Carano’s Coach Has Surprising Take On What Comes Next After Ronda Rousey Loss

    Gina Carano’s coach, John Wood, believes his fighter’s competitive fire has not been satisfied by her 17-second loss to Ronda Rousey at MVP MMA 1, and says he leans toward her returning to the cage.

    Carano returned to MMA competition for the first time since 2009 on Saturday and was submitted by Rousey’s armbar in the opening seconds of the main event at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Wood told Home of Fight that the quick ending may have left Carano wanting more.

    “I do not believe that that itch has been scratched yet for Gina, but we’ll see. There’s a lot of things already coming at her. I could tell you, behind the scenes, there’s a lot of activity already, so ultimately the decision is hers. It was never a need for money. This was a personal thing for her to come back and do this. Truthfully for me, she found the love of fighting again. And as a coach, I see somebody in the room who, she can still fight. And there’s a lot of people that she can still beat, I guarantee you. I think with the right matchups and the right, fair matchups, that we can have some fun out there. So we’ll see what she decides to do.”

    Wood expressed his hope to see Carano fight again and explained why a second camp would be entirely different.

    “I personally would like to see her do it again. I personally would like to see her take the work that we did and actually have another camp that would be focused on just fighting because all the hard work, the bullsh*t, the weight cut has been done. I would love to see her have another camp and do a fun fight. Do I think she’s going to do it? I would lean more to yes than no.”

    Carano lost 100 pounds to make the fight happen and came in at 141.4 pounds at the official weigh-in before rehydrating to 152 on fight night.

  • Ben Askren Identified Problem Holding Francis Ngannou Back And It Has Nothing To Do With His Fighting

    Ben Askren Identified Problem Holding Francis Ngannou Back And It Has Nothing To Do With His Fighting

    Ben Askren says Francis Ngannou’s biggest problem since leaving the UFC is the same one Askren faced when he left Bellator for ONE Championship — a lack of credible dance partners.

    Ngannou returned to MMA last Saturday with a first-round knockout of Philipe Lins at MVP MMA 1 on Netflix. Speaking on Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel, Askren drew a parallel to his own career.

    “Actually, you know, that was one of my big issues is when Dana wouldn’t sign me in 2013, and then I went to ONE Championship. So, I was thinking of this of Francis, and this has been Francis’ problem ever since he left the UFC. Maybe it’s been like three or four years now? It feels like a little while, but you need dance partners. And when I left Bellator and went to ONE Championship, I just didn’t have anyone who could really fight with me. So it was hard to build it, you know? And Francis is in the exact same situation where he’s got no one that can really fight with him, and you need that to build a star.”

    Ngannou parted ways with the UFC as heavyweight champion. Potential opponents of the caliber of Tom Aspinall, Alex Pereira, and Jon Jones are unavailable to him given their UFC contracts and the promotion’s strained relationship with Ngannou.

  • Michael Bisping Noticed Something About The MVP MMA 1 Crowd That Is Not A Good Look For The Event

    Michael Bisping Noticed Something About The MVP MMA 1 Crowd That Is Not A Good Look For The Event

    Michael Bisping says the atmosphere at the UFC’s small Apex facility felt more electric than the Intuit Dome during MVP MMA 1 on Saturday night, despite the Netflix card featuring far bigger names.

    Speaking on his Believe You Me podcast, Bisping described switching between the two broadcasts.

    “I was bouncing back and forth, now, I don’t know, maybe I’m biased. The UFC was at the Apex. It sounded louder than the Intuit Dome. There definitely seemed like there was more vibe coming from the small Apex. Maybe it was because it was the prelims. It didn’t seem like there were many people there.”

    MVP MMA 1 drew an attendance of 15,795 at Intuit Dome and peaked at 17 million global viewers on Netflix. UFC Fight Night 276, headlined by Arnold Allen’s unanimous decision win over Melquizael Costa, took place at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

  • Ronda Rousey Reflects on MMA Retirement in Instagram Post

    Ronda Rousey Reflects on MMA Retirement in Instagram Post

    Ronda Rousey has confirmed her retirement from MMA is permanent, releasing a lengthy Instagram statement after submitting Gina Carano in 17 seconds at MVP MMA 1 on Netflix that detailed why she came back, what the camp meant to her, and why she is now ready to walk away for good.

    Rousey opened by admitting the weight of the moment had delayed her writing.

    “I’ve been putting off this post-fight post because I think I’ve been procrastinating admitting that it’s really over.”

    She explained that Carano herself was the reason she returned, tying the comeback directly to watching her opponent go through a difficult period in her own life.

    “This fight, the year and a half of training that went into it, and even the promotion was more fulfilling than I ever could have imagined. At nine months pregnant, when I saw Gina experiencing a low similar to what I endured — I KNEW she had it in her to pull herself out of it. And just like when I saw her fight for the first time I thought, ‘Well, if she can do it, I can, too.’ Pro wrestling helped me move on from my past in MMA, but Gina is the one who gave me a reason to confront it.”

    Rousey said the fight meant more than just a result.

    “The story we could tell together was one I desperately needed to believe. That you’re never too low to rise again, that your body is never too far gone to reclaim, and that it’s never too late to be better than you’ve ever been.”

    She revealed a behind-the-scenes moment where she and Carano worked out contract issues themselves.

    “When there were a few hiccups at the finish line getting her contract done I just said, ‘F*ck it, let’s meet up’ and we hammered out all the issues together over a bottle of wine — well, actually, she had martinis, I smoked a blunt and had the wine — and got the deal done ourselves.”

    Rousey also made clear she has no apologies for how she views her own legacy.

    “I am before anything else a martial artist. I’m better at MMA than I ever was at anything else — and f*ck who this may offend, but I am the best to have ever done it and nothing can compare to the experience of creating within my craft.”

    She described the camp itself as a healing process.

    “The joy of being in this camp and falling back into my skill again and seeing the shock on the faces of my coaches and training partners watching me create sh*t no one’s ever seen on the spot, watching me tap out some of the best in the world up to five times a round during sparring — it healed my soul.”

    Rousey closed the statement with gratitude for Carano and finality about what comes next.

    “The fight is over, it’s bittersweet because for the first time the experience of preparing for the fight eclipsed the joy any victory could have brought. But I’m finally ready to move on, this time with my head held high. Thank you, Gina.”

    Rousey vs. Carano reportedly peaked at 17 million global viewers, with the final three fights on the card averaging 12.4 million. She finishes her MMA career at 13-2.

  • Herb Dean Has Very Specific Explanation For Most Controversial Moment At MVP MMA 1

    Herb Dean Has Very Specific Explanation For Most Controversial Moment At MVP MMA 1

    Herb Dean says he is certain he made the right call in stopping the Adriano Moraes vs. Phumi Nkuta bout at MVP MMA 1, despite the controversy surrounding the finish.

    Moraes sank in a rear-naked choke in the final seconds of Round 3, with Nkuta going unconscious just before the bell rang. Moraes was awarded the win at 4:59 of the third round, but the timing of the stoppage immediately drew debate. Dean addressed the decision on The Ariel Helwani Show.

    “I’m certain that the right decision was made. Definitely sure that he went unconscious before the bell — like, a fraction of a second before the bell — and then I went and stopped the fight. He held on for a fraction of a second past the bell. I don’t think it was egregious enough for me to disqualify him.”

    Dean also addressed why Moraes may have continued holding the choke past the bell.

    “Each fight is the most important fight of your career, and you have seconds to lock something in. Who knows where his mind was at? He’s fighting for everything, for his whole career, and giving it everything he’s got. Sometimes it takes a second for someone to realize it’s over.”

    Nkuta’s manager has filed a formal appeal of the result with the California State Athletic Commission. The outcome of that appeal remains uncertain.

  • Stitch Duran Breaks Down Every Reason He Stopped The Nate Diaz Fight And The List Is Longer Than You Think

    Nate Diaz’s cutman, Jacob “Stitch” Duran, says he has no regrets about stopping the Diaz vs. Mike Perry fight between rounds, revealing Diaz suffered 15 staples and 20 stitches combined and had broken a finger during the bout.

    Duran spoke to MMA Junkie Radio on Monday, explaining the sequence of events that led to his decision to call off the fight before the third round at MVP MMA 1.

    “He ended up with 15 staples, 20 stitches all together. He was beat up. He was too strong for him. I always look at it as a judge, and at that point, he was getting his ass whooped. Mike was just too strong, too aggressive and he was working him. Then, Nate broke his finger right about here. He said, ‘I couldn’t do nothing.’ The cuts were so big here, it kept pulsating. It kept going and then his nose kept bleeding. It was the sign of maybe a broken nose. I told Nate, ‘I’m going to have the doctor stop the fight, man.’ I said, ‘It’s too much blood and you keep bleeding.’ The referee said, ‘Come on, let’s go.’ I said, ‘No, no, no. He’s not going out.’”

    The crowd at Intuit Dome booed the stoppage. Duran said what mattered most was that Diaz himself understood and expressed his gratitude.

    “Nate thanked me. He said, ‘Thanks.’ I said, ‘Of course.’ I was there to take care of him. That was a proper move. The thing about it is he said he couldn’t see. That’s always No. 1. It wasn’t a hard decision to make. He had blood everywhere. My job is to protect the fighter. That’s exactly what I did with Nate. At the end, when we were saying goodbye, he gives me a hug, ‘I love you.’ His dad was there. He thanked me. So of course I did the right thing. No question about it.”

    Duran also revealed he received a message of support from boxing legend Marco Antonio Barrera.

    “You know what’s cool? I got a message from Marco Antonio Barrera from Guadalajara. He thanked me. He said great job. I got a lot of compliments from guys within the industry. They understand. My only job is to give that guy one more round and if he can’t go one more round, to take care of him. So I’m glad I was there for Nate.”

  • Matt Brown Rips Ronda Rousey’s Netflix Comeback: ‘There Are No Redeeming Qualities’

    Matt Brown Rips Ronda Rousey’s Netflix Comeback: ‘There Are No Redeeming Qualities’

    Matt Brown says Ronda Rousey’s comeback felt hollow from start to finish and that she missed a major opportunity to repair her relationship with combat sports fans.

    Brown, speaking on The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast, offered a sweeping critique of Rousey’s approach to the fight, the promotion, and her public persona surrounding the Netflix return.

    “For me personally and I think I speak for a lot of people, there was no redeeming qualities for this card, in terms of making us bigger fans of Ronda. I don’t like how she carried herself. I don’t like how she spoke. I think she’s a narcissist, and I think she’s got a lot of mental issues, and I think she maybe needs to go to therapy or something. If she said she’s coming back for money, I get it. You’re prize fighting. Come back get a bag. There’s no redeeming quality about winning this fight. You fought someone that hasn’t fought in 17 years. What are you proud of? There’s nothing to be proud of there.”

    Brown took particular issue with how Rousey promoted the event, including her public targeting of UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell and her shots at current bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison.

    “I think she’s just kind of a narcissistic person and nothing about this really felt good, in my opinion. The whole thing with this fight card, I don’t think anybody would disagree that this whole fight card from beginning to end was kind of cringe as f*ck. Ronda was just the cringiest person ever with her mean mugging the whole time and looking so angry and all the buildup, all the shit she said leading up to it. Talking so much shit to Hunter Campbell and this kind of vengeful personality that she has and all this anger and frustration. You really just need to go to therapy.”

    Brown said he viewed the comeback as a missed opportunity for genuine redemption.

    “That’s what sucks. This was kind of an opportunity for her to redeem herself for the fans and for the community in general. She certainly did not do that at all. At least I felt that way. To me, it’s not interesting. It’s not interesting, and it’s not fun. She had it written down in her pocket. It’s not exciting. It does not feel authentic.”

    He closed with a direct message about her approach to publicity.

    “We want to love Ronda. This was her opportunity — another of her thousand opportunities — but this was a huge opportunity for her to create a lot of love for her. She could have gotten even more views if she came out all humble and just speaking properly and not making it about Hunter Campbell and the UFC. Not making it about trying to go out on a win. Who the fck is doing her public relations? She’s got the fame and the money, she’s got to have a PR person in her ear saying ‘look, just speak like this.’ Even if you fake it. Just fcking say half-right things. She just can’t do it.”

    Rousey submitted Carano in 17 seconds with an armbar and announced her retirement from fighting again following the win. She has expressed interest in remaining involved with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions in an executive capacity.

  • Dustin Poirier Unloads On Nate Diaz After MVP MMA Loss: ‘He Looked Like Dog S**t’

    Dustin Poirier Unloads On Nate Diaz After MVP MMA Loss: ‘He Looked Like Dog S**t’

    Dustin Poirier says Nate Diaz looked like “dog shit” against Mike Perry at MVP MMA 1 and offered a blunt assessment of where Diaz is at in his career, while reiterating his desire to fight his longtime rival.

    Diaz lost to Perry by corner stoppage after the second round on Saturday’s Netflix card. In his post-fight media, Diaz said he has no interest in fighting anyone who is retired — a shot at Poirier, who retired last year. Poirier responded on his show Deep Waters.

    “We’ve been circling each other for years and years and years. We could have fought. He knows that. I wish he would be honest with the fans and say he pulled out, or didn’t come to terms with the UFC, whatever it was, for the couple of times we were supposed to fight, that it never happened. But dude, after the way he looked on Saturday night, he can’t talk right now. He needs to take a break. He needs to go get some sleep and rest. Not me, you know. He looked like dog shit. He looked horrible. He looked like he didn’t want to be in there, looked like a punching bag, looked off balance, his timing was horrible. I mean, when somebody loses, I don’t like to shit on them too hard, but he knows. He looked horrible.”

    Poirier said his offer to fight Diaz still stands, even if it means coming out of retirement.

    “My invitation is still out there. At 170, I’ll go back in the drug testing protocol, whatever. I will knock Nate Diaz complete out. It’s crazy that he’s bringing me up in a post-fight. Apparently, he wants to fight, or he’s thinking about it. And it’s just like, after a performance like that, it’s like, what am I doing? It’s like I’m picking on somebody if I’m chasing Nate Diaz, the way he’s looking. It’s like I’m picking on the easy fight, easy win. But Nate Diaz, I will knock you clean out if we fight.”

    Despite the harsh words, Poirier made clear his criticism comes from a place of genuine concern.

    “Listen, bro, even though I talk about Nate, and I want to beat his ass, I’m a fan. I’ve been a fan of him and his brother for a long time. But that was the worst I’ve ever seen him. He’s just 41 years old and has a million miles. You can’t keep that fighting style, the way he fights, forever. It’s coming to the end.”

    Poirier would need to be released from his UFC contract to pursue a fight with Diaz outside the promotion.

  • Gina Carano Weighed Heavier Than Ronda Rousey On Fight Night Despite Being Lighter At Weigh-Ins

    Gina Carano Weighed Heavier Than Ronda Rousey On Fight Night Despite Being Lighter At Weigh-Ins

    Gina Carano weighed 10 pounds more on fight night than she did at the official weigh-ins, coming in at 152 pounds after tipping the scale at 141.4 the day before Saturday’s MVP MMA 1 main event.

    Ronda Rousey, by contrast, gained just one pound overnight, going from 142 to 143. The California State Athletic Commission provided the full fight night weights to MMA Junkie, with CSAC executive director Andy Foster supplying the list.

    The size difference proved irrelevant as Rousey submitted Carano with her signature armbar in 17 seconds to win the Netflix headliner at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

    The largest rehydration on the card came from Namo Fazil, who went from 170.8 pounds at the weigh-ins to 198 on fight night — a 27-pound swing.

    Full MVP MMA 1 fight night weights:

    • Ronda Rousey: 142 to 143 pounds
    • Gina Carano: 141.4 to 152 pounds
    • Nate Diaz: 168.6 to 184.6 pounds
    • Mike Perry: 169.6 to 181.4 pounds
    • Francis Ngannou: 257 to 258.6 pounds
    • Philipe Lins: 220.6 to 221 pounds
    • Salahdine Parnasse: 154.8 to 169 pounds
    • Kenneth Cross: 155.4 to 168.4 pounds
    • Junior Dos Santos: 245.4 to 249.8 pounds
    • Robelis Despaigne: 258.8 to 263.2 pounds
    • Namo Fazil: 170.8 to 198 pounds
    • Jake Babian: 171 to 186.8 pounds
    • Adriano Moraes: 129 to 138.4 pounds
    • Phumi Nkuta: 130 to 143.4 pounds
    • Jason Jackson: 170.8 to 182.6 pounds
    • Jefferson Creighton: 168.2 to 184.6 pounds
    • David Mgoyan: 145.2 to 158.8 pounds
    • Albert Morales: 143.8 to 158.6 pounds
    • Aline Pereira: 128 to 142.4 pounds
    • Jade Masson-Wong: 129.2 to 141.6 pounds
    • Chris Avila: 164 to 175.6 pounds
    • Brandon Jenkins: 164.2 to 179.2 pounds
  • Jon Jones Says MVP MMA Was ‘Actually Better Than The UFC’ After Rousey vs. Carano

    Jon Jones Says MVP MMA Was ‘Actually Better Than The UFC’ After Rousey vs. Carano

    Jon Jones says MVP MMA’s debut event on Netflix was better produced than anything he has experienced in the UFC, and expressed optimism about eventually getting out of his contract to fight Francis Ngannou.

    Jones served as an analyst for Saturday’s Rousey vs. Carano card at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and was effusive in his praise for what MVP put together.

    “I thought the MVP promotion was absolutely unbelievable. I think it was actually better than the UFC. I’ve never been at such a promotion where they had the fog machines and the TVs absolutely everywhere, great fighters. Half the audience came out to see Diaz win. Both guys are my close personal friends, so it was bittersweet.”

    Jones also weighed in on the main event, saying Rousey did exactly what he predicted.

    “Ronda did absolutely unbelievable. She did exactly what I thought she would do and won in less than a minute. It was 17 seconds, and I predicted it. Her judo and her jiu-jitsu, I mean she’s put so many years into it. The other girls to this day are still so far behind.”

    Jones was called out by Ngannou following his first-round knockout of Philipe Lins during the event. He expressed interest in fighting Ngannou under the MVP banner and said he remains hopeful about finding a path out of his UFC contract, noting it is “very, very possible” with the right people and effort. The UFC is unlikely to facilitate a Ngannou fight given the fractured relationship between the two sides.

  • Junior Dos Santos Broke His Silence After His MVP MMA 1 Knockout And Had A Revealing Message

    Junior Dos Santos Broke His Silence After His MVP MMA 1 Knockout And Had A Revealing Message

    Junior dos Santos has confirmed he was hospitalized following his brutal knockout loss to Robelis Despaigne at MVP MMA 1 on Saturday night, the first-ever MMA fight to air on Netflix.

    Dos Santos posted a video on Instagram in Portuguese addressing his condition and the knockout itself.

    “Yesterday, I went to the hospital after that strike I took right to the face. The boy hits hard. I didn’t see anything. People are asking, ‘Did it hurt?’ Did it hurt? What are you talking about? I didn’t feel a thing, man. You just fall asleep.”

    The 42-year-old former UFC heavyweight champion was cleared by doctors before flying home from California on Sunday. He said he planned to reflect more on the fight once he returned home.

    “Tomorrow I’ll be back at home, and then I’ll talk a little bit about how it went and the fight itself because I was feeling good, you know? Good, but somehow I wasn’t quite there. Very strange, very strange.”

    He also touched on the subject of age with a degree of uncertainty.

    “I think I’m getting old. No, I’m not, but anyway, let’s see.”

    The knockout was the ninth of Dos Santos’ career. He entered the fight with a 21-10 record and had spoken earlier in the week about wanting to build a long-term future with Most Valuable Promotions. Despaigne called out Francis Ngannou immediately after the finish, setting up what appears to be the most logical next step for MVP MMA’s heavyweight division.

  • Francis Ngannou’s Response To Being Overshadowed By Dana White’s Announcement Is Very Francis Ngannou

    Francis Ngannou’s Response To Being Overshadowed By Dana White’s Announcement Is Very Francis Ngannou

    Francis Ngannou was unbothered by Dana White’s decision to announce Conor McGregor’s return during the MVP MMA 1 broadcast, saying it had nothing to do with him.

    White announced McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 at UFC 329 during the Netflix event on Saturday night, with the timing widely seen as a deliberate attempt to overshadow MVP MMA’s debut. The announcement coincided with Ngannou’s walkout, leading to both men trending on social media simultaneously.

    Asked about the timing by the media after the event, Ngannou was dismissive.

    “And what the f— do I have to do with that? So I should stop my walkout and look at what’s going on with Dana? I don’t care, bro. Let’s move on, life goes on, I’m doing my stuff here, I’m doing good, I have no problem. Everybody can do whatever they want.”

    Despite the newsworthiness of McGregor’s return announcement, Ngannou’s name trended on social media at a similar level to McGregor’s during the evening.

  • MVP MMA Salaries: Ronda Rousey Earns $2.2 Million For Submission

    Those joking that Ronda Rousey’s 17-second armbar of Gina Carano in the main event of MVP MMA 1 was her “easiest payday” may not be stretching the truth too much.

    Though it’s more of a rarity these days, the base fighter pay for the MVP MMA card is now known, thanks to the disclosure by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).

    Rousey, one of the headliners for the inaugural MVP MMA event, was the biggest earner of the evening, taking home a $2.2 million purse.

    Rousey’s opponent, Carano, was the third-biggest earner, taking home a $1.05 million payday.

    Between the two was Francis Ngannou. The former UFC heavyweight champion took home $1.5 million for his first-round knockout of Phillipe Lins.

    It should be noted that the reported pay by the CSAC does not include any win bonuses, signing bonuses, incentive-based bonuses, or sponsorship revenue.

    The lowest base pay for the MVP card was $40,000. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian previously told Uncrowned that this would be the minimum fighter pay, nearly four times more than the UFC’s lowest show money pay for fighters.

    The full list of MVP MMA fighter disclosed pay by the CSAC can be found below:

    • Ronda Rousey: $2,200,000
    • Gina Carano: $1,050,000
    • Nate Diaz: $500,000
    • Mike Perry: $400,000
    • Francis Ngannou: $1,500,000
    • Philipe Lins: $100,000
    • Salahdine Parnasse: $70,000
    • Kenny Cross: $50,000
    • Junior dos Santos: $80,000
    • Robelis Despaigne: $50,000
    • Namo Fazil: $40,000
    • Jake Babian: $40,000
    • Adriano Moraes: $80,000
    • Phumi Nkuta: $60,000
    • Jason Jackson: $110,000
    • Jeff Creighton: $50,000
    • David Mgoyan: $50,000
    • Albert Morales: $40,000
    • Aline Pereira: $40,000
    • Jade Masson-Wong: $40,000
    • Chris Avila: $50,000
    • Brandon Jenkins: $40,000

  • Ronda Rousey Submits Gina Carano In Seconds With Armbar

    She hasn’t stepped in the cage in over 10 years, but Ronda Rousey looked like her old self, needing mere seconds to put away Gina Carano in the main event of MVP MMA.

    Rousey scored a takedown immediately. After a failed guillotine, Rousey went right into the armbar, scoring the submission in just 17 seconds.

    Ronda Rousey Quickly Submits Gina Carano In 17 Seconds At MVP MMA

    This was Rousey’s first MMA fight since her loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. The former UFC and Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion has since had a pair of stints with the WWE, where she became a multiple-time women’s world champion.

    This was Carano’s first fight since losing to Cris Cyborg in 2009. Carano has since gone on to a career in film and television media.

  • ‘War’ – Mike Perry Puts Beating On Nate Diaz For Stoppage Win

    In a bloody striking-filled war, Mike Perry scored perhaps the biggest win of his combat career, stopping Nate Diaz in two rounds in the MVP MMA co-main event.

    Perry came out aggressively from the opening seconds, looking to bring forward pressure and aggression with inside strikes, namely elbows. Diaz looked for an early leg lock attempt, but back on the feet, Perry had his way, working Diaz over with body strikes and quickly wearing him down.

    Diaz landed strong shots of his own, working the jab and busting Perry up as well. But Perry’s onslaught on the feet was too much, as he continued to land combinations and make the blood pour from Diaz.

    Perry landed a strong knee before the end of the round. While Diaz survived to the end of round two, the corner ended the fight due to all the blood pouring out of Diaz, giving Perry the victory.

    Mike Perry Bloodies, Finishes Nate Diaz At MVP MMA

    This was Diaz’s first MMA bout since submitting Tony Ferguson at UFC 279. Since then, he competed in two boxing bouts, losing to Jake Paul and defeating Jorge Masvidal.

    Perry has built a name for himself in the BKFC, becoming their current King of Violence. This was Perry’s first professional MMA bout since losing to Daniel Rodriguez in April 2021.

  • Jon Jones Says He’s Focused On Trying To Get UFC Release

    Jon Jones Says He’s Focused On Trying To Get UFC Release

    Jon Jones was present for the MVP MMA card and said he’d need to get out of his UFC contract to face Francis Ngannou.

    Jones was a guest at the analysts’ desk, present to react to Ngannou’s performance against Phillips Lins. Ngannou ended up finishing Lins in just under five minutes.

    Following the fight, Ariel Helwani asked Ngannou about potential next fights. Jake Paul was brought up as a possible opponent, as was Jones, but all parties seemed to recognize the difficulty of such a fight happening while Jones is locked under a UFC contract.

    Jon Jones Looking To Get Out Of UFC Contract For Francis Ngannou Matchup

    Jones was then asked to follow up on his thoughts, and he appeared to hint that he might be looking to get out of his contract.

    “I’ve got to try to focus on getting out of my UFC contract,” Jones said. “That’s going to be the difficult part if this fight [with Francis Ngannou] is going to happen. I don’t think [UFC CEO and President] Dana [White] is interested in doing business with Francis, so doing it with MVP would probably be the only way to make it happen, and if we can get out of my contract that would be great.”

    Jones has not fought since defeating Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. Jones and Tom Aspinall’s negotiations for a heavyweight title fight ended with Jones’ retirement. That retirement only lasted two weeks, when Jones requested to be put on the UFC White House card.

    When Jones was not placed on the card, he asked for his release.

    Jones and Ngannou have had previous negotiations with the UFC for a fight, but the fight fell through more than once before Ngannou left the UFC in 2023.

    The win over Lins was Ngannou’s first fight since his sole PFL bout — a first-round knockout of Renan Ferreira in October 2024.

  • ‘Still the Scariest’ – Francis Ngannou Puts Out Phillipe Lins

    Francis Ngannou still has the power, delivering a vintage knockout during the MVP MMA card, needing just one round to defeat Phillipe Lins.

    Ngannou stalked Lins right away, countering a Lins takedown attempt with a guillotine choke. Ngannou got Lins to his back, thanks to his power, as Lins tried to limit Ngannou by locking up his guard.

    Ngannou made Lins eat right hands as the fight got back to the feet. Ngannou connected on solid body shots to do more damage.

    Then, Ngannou landed one right hand to put Lins out cold and end things in a flash.

    Francis Ngannou KOs Phillipe Lins At MVP MMA

    This was Ngannou’s first professional MMA fight since defeating Renan Ferreira in October 2024. That was the sole PFL fight for the former UFC heavyweight champion, who parted ways with that promotion in 2023.

    This was Lins’ first fight since defeating Ion Cutelaba at UFC 299. Lins, the former PFL heavyweight champion, was on a four-fight win streak.

  • Salahdine Parnasse Puts On Show In US Debut At MVP MMA

    Competing in the United States for the first time, Salahdine Parnasse made a statement for the argument that he’s one of the best non-UFC names, scoring a first-round finish of Kenneth Cross at MVP MMA.

    Parnasse troubled Cross early by dumping him to the ground and landing ground-and-pound in the first few seconds. The two battled for grappling control, jockeying for position as they battled around the cage.

    But then Parnasse landed a pair of punches that appeared to do damage to Cross. Cross looked to fire back and get back in the fight, but Parnasse brought him to the ground and overwhelmed him with strikes while looking for the choke. Cross survived and got back to the feet, but a body shot folded him to give Parnasse the first-round finish.

    Salahdine Parnasse Puts A Hurting On Kenneth Cross At MVP MMA

    Parnasse, the former KSW featherweight and lightweight champion, came into this bout with a 22-2 record. Parnasse’s most recent fight came in January, finishing Marcin Held.

    Cross sees a four-fight win streak snapped in this fight. He entered this bout off a win over Tsogookhuu Amarsanaa in October.

  • ‘Eviscerated’ – Robelis Despaigne Brutalizes Junior Dos Santos

    ‘Eviscerated’ – Robelis Despaigne Brutalizes Junior Dos Santos

    Robelis Despaigne scored yet another first-round finish, getting perhaps the biggest win of his career with a first-round finish of Junior dos Santos at MVP MMA.

    Despaigne came out aggressive, taking the center and connecting strong and early. Dos Santos, however, got his own shots in, dropping him briefly with a leg kick and trying to pressure Despaigne.

    A three-punch combination landed perfectly, however, and it was enough to bloody and knock out the former UFC heavyweight champion.

    Robelis Despaigne KOs Junior Dos Santos At MVP MMA

    Despaigne now improves to 6-2 in professional MMA, with six finishes. This was Despaigne’s first MMA fight since losing to Austen Lane in 2024. Despaigne knocked out Sam Alvey in December to become Karate Combat heavyweight champion.

    JDS competed in his first MMA fight tonight since his loss to Yorgan De Castro in Eagle FC in 2022. He competed in a pair of bare-knuckle MMA fights since, defeating Fabricio Werdum and Alan Belcher.

  • Namo Fazil Gets Submission Win, Calls Out Arman Tsarukyan

    Namo Fazil Gets Submission Win, Calls Out Arman Tsarukyan

    Namo Fazil won a wild battle in the MVP MMA featured prelim against Jake Babian — then had quite the wild post-fight show.

    Fazil and Babian had a wild opening round filled with striking sequences, both landing big on one another as momentum swung back and forth. Babian found moments of success on the ground, but Fazil answered with heavy combinations and pressure.

    Fazil then put things away in round two by landing powerful punches on Babian against the fence before locking up an anaconda choke.

    Namo Fazil Has Post-Fight Confrontation With Arman Tsarukyan At MVP MMA

    Fazil then had a noteworthy post-fight interview, calling out co-main event competitors Nate Diaz and Mike Perry, as well as Arman Tsarukyan.

    Following the fight, Tsarukyan appeared to try and jump the fence to get after Fazil.

    Fazil continues the win streak he’s been on since 2023.

  • Adriano Moraes Earns Last-Second Submission At MVP MMA

    Adriano Moraes Earns Last-Second Submission At MVP MMA

    Appearing to be just seconds away from losing in upset fashion, Adriano Moraes pulled off a sudden finish, getting to the back of Phumi Nkuta and scoring a legitimate last-second submission victory.

    Nkuta brought it to Moraes early, working over the former ONE flyweight champion with boxing combinations and pressure. Nkuta dropped Moraes late in the first round, nearly scoring a submission. Moraes’ grappling pressure then started to take over, securing strong positioning in the backpack position and on the ground.

    Nkuta continued to get the upper hand in the third round; however, a late knee attempt from Moraes got Nkuta off balance, resulting in Moraes jumping on the back and locking up the choke.

    The time expired; however, Nkuta did not move for several seconds, resulting in a technical submission being called — and upheld by the California State Athletic Commission.

    Adriano Moraes Scores Final-Second Technical Submission Of Phumi Nkuta At MVP MMA

    Multiple MMA media members, however, took issue with the fact that Moraes still held onto the choke when the bell sounded.

    Moraes, the former ONE flyweight champion, entered this fight with three losses in his last four fights. He was finished in the first round by Yuya Wakamatsu in their March 2025 ONE flyweight title fight.

    Nkuta, who took this fight on short notice to fill in for Muhammad Mokaev, entered this fight 11-0.