UFC Legend Randy Couture Reacts to Rousey vs. Carano on Netflix MMA Card

UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture has shared his thoughts on Netflix entering MMA through Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. 

Their first event is scheduled to take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on May 16.

The event will be headlined by a long awaited clash of women’s MMA legends, as Gina Carano faces former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. Both women have not competed in 17 and 10 years, respectively. However, they each have large fanbases and are expected to draw interest. 

In an exclusive conversation with SportsBoom.us, Couture spoke about the magnitude of Netflix’s involvement, the Rousey vs. Carano matchup, and Francis Ngannou being featured on the card.

Couture expressed excitement about the streaming giant backing MMA. He acknowledged Paul’s role and believes the event is positive development for the sport. 

“Paul has always been a disrupter,” Couture exclusively told SportsBoom.us. 

“I think we all saw this coming, didn’t we with Netflix? They kind of dipped their toe in the water a couple times with a couple [ of big boxing events ]. Now we know they’re gonna get involved in MMA and it’s awesome that they’re choosing combat sports,” he added.

ROUSEY VS. CARANO: WHO HAS THE ADVANTAGE?

Rousey and Carano have both committed to returning to the cage in peak physical shape. They began training well in advance of their fight being announced and appear to have a rejuvenated passion for MMA.

Couture recalled training Carano earlier in her career when she competed for Strikeforce. She retired after suffering her lone career loss to eventual UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg.

‘The Natural’ acknowledged the impact both Carano and Rousey have had on women’s MMA. 

“Gina was literally the first queen of MMA. She was the Strikeforce champion and the first one to be a headliner as a female in Strikeforce,” Couture said.

“Ronda then picked up that mantle, that door Gina opened, Ronda was able to walk through and take [ women’s MMA ] to a whole new level, so the fact that these two are squaring off, it’s a classic matchup.” 

Couture highlighted the striker vs. grappler dynamic of the fight, noting the winner could be determined by who has adapted to their opponent’s primary skill set.

“It’s the amazing striker against a world-class grappler. I hope the other one has sharpened some of those other tools because otherwise it has the potential to be a short night one way or the other,” he added.

FIGHTERS SPEAKING OUT ABOUT FIGHTER PAY

Ngannou’s addition to the Netflix card is significant. ‘The Predator’ is widely considered the lineal heavyweight MMA champion, having left the UFC without losing the title. He has since competed in lucrative boxing bouts against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. 

Those bouts, along with his lone PFL appearance, earned him tens of millions of dollars in a much shorter period of time than if he re-signed with the UFC.

Following the Rousey vs. Carano announcement press conference, Ngannou dismissed the notion that legacy is more important than pay. Couture commended ‘The Predator’ for pushing for fighters to earn their fair share.

“Francis wanted advocacy for the fighters and the UFC was not willing to give that up. So, he got the money he wanted and became an advocate for fighters in Africa in the PFL.”

Couture also added that Rousey becoming more vocal has become a positive development.

“We’re hearing a lot from Ronda with regard to the UFC. Since she’s free and clear of them, she can finally get on the bandwagon and support this movement for fighters to get their fair shake and their fair piece of the pie in MMA,” he concluded.