Jake Paul reinvented himself several years back, switching from a content creator to a would-be boxer fighting aged and over-the-hill MMA stars, at least until he ran into Anthony Joshua.
Maybe it was time for Paul to give something back to mixed martial arts. And on Saturday, he did just that, with his Most Valuable Promotions banner hosting Rousey vs. Carano, the first-ever MMA event on streaming behemoth Netflix.
Lots has been written about the card, but if you don’t know by know, know this: The UFC was happy to pay Rousey and Carano for the fight, and had it booked for the end of 2025. However, when Carano needed more time to get ready (she later admitted to losing 100 pounds for the fight over a year and a half), the bout was scrapped thanks to the promotion shifting to Paramount+ and leaving Pay-Per-View behind them. The company, it seemed, no longer wanted to take the risk on guaranteed money, as the original offer to Rousey in particular, which she called the best of her career, relied on PPV points – bonus money based on how well an event sells.
Enter Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and their MVP label. They quickly snatched up the fight, signed up Mike Perry and Nate Diaz to face off, as well as lineal heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou. He’s yet to lose since exiting the UFC as champion (to be fair, he’s only fought once), and for a time was offered kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven. With the Dutch star opting to pursue boxing instead, ex-PFL and UFC heavyweight Philipe Lins stepped up instead.
Junior Dos Santos, Salahdine Parnasse, Phumi Nkuta and more also appear on the card, which, if successful, could very well lead to more shows down the line. It will all come down to how the admittedly aging main event, and some of the night’s big stars, perform however.
Consider Saturday a very important litmus test.
Where to Watch MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano
MVP MMA makes its debut on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, CA. The preliminary card streams live on Youtube starting at 6PM ET, 3PM PT and can be viewed below. Main card action gets underway at 9PM ET, 6PM PT on Netflix. Check below for full results from the event.
MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano Results
Main card (Netflix)
Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano
Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry
Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins
Salahdine Parnasse vs. Kenneth Cross
Junior dos Santos vs. Robelis Despaigne
Preliminary card (YouTube)
Namo Fazil vs. Jake Babian
Adriano Moraes vs. Phumi Nkuta
Jason Jackson vs. Jefferson Creighton
David Mgoyan vs. Albert Morales
Aline Pereira vs. Jade Masson-Wong
Chris Avila vs. Brandon Jenkins
