Not just to the streaming giant, either. Rousey vs. Carano got people talking. Social media interaction was high. Traffic was up on numerous websites. In that sense, Saturday was a good day for MMA.

Of course, there will always be naysayers. There are always ups and downs. MVP MMA’s Rousey vs. Carano card wasn’t a perfect event by any means, and there are lots of aspects about the show that can be criticized. However, if there’s any one takeaway, it’s that competition is good for the sport. With apologies to the PFL, MMA isn’t a “league sport.” It’s not stick-and-ball. It’s prize fighting, and the best comparisons are either boxing, or professional wrestling. 90s wrestling fans will tell you, that business was at its best when the “Monday Night Wars” between WWE and WCW were in full swing. It forced both companies to innovate.

Can MVP MMA, if it moves forward, do the same for the UFC, which has grown stale so far in 2026? Time will tell, but Rousey vs. Carano certainly suggested it’s possible.

We’ll get to that, and more, as we break down some of the biggest takeaways from Saturday’s card at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

No, the fix wasn’t in

Perhaps the downright dumbest discourse surrounding Rousey vs. Carano, in particular about the main event itself, came after the fight, with various talking heads on social media yelling “fix!” As if rigging the main event in favour of the fighter widely expected to win it, exactly in the fashion she did, would make any sense at all.

Gina Carano was a massive underdog heading into Saturday’s Netflix card. She had not fought in 17 years, and dropped 100 pounds in the year and a half leading up to the fight. In fact, her shape, her physical condition, was in part what led Ronda Rousey to propose the fight in the first place: she wanted to give Carano something to work towards.

You can argue that, because of how friendly the main event pair were ahead of the fight, they didn’t give it their all. And that would be an acceptable take. Yelling fix? Just say you’re desperate for engagement and attention.

Fixes, actual fixes, are incredibly rare in MMA. Mainly because the money isn’t generally worth it, and they’re incredibly difficult to pull off. In fact, discounting betting scandals involving Darrick Minner and Alexander Hernandez (which weren’t fixes, but rather injury information being leaked to the betting public), there’s really only been one verified instance of fight fixing in the UFC: Tae Hyun Bang’s fight against Leo Kuntz at UFC Fight Night 79 in South Korea, back in 2015. And, hilariously, though Bang was later convicted of accepting bribes to throw the fight, he never went through with it, getting cold feet after the UFC noticed a shift in betting lines and winning a split decision.

Aside from that, you’re left with Isaac Dulgarian’s fight against Yadier del Valle last November, in which Dulgarian tapped suspiciously quickly to a rear-naked choke while displaying zero defense. That bout remains under investigation, and could still amount to nothing. Or wind up being a similar situation to Minner, who was injured ahead of his November 2022 fight with Shayilan Nuerdanbieke and failed to disclose it (only for his coach, James Krause, to do a little insider trading with the knowledge).

Now, back to Rousey. If you’re new to MMA, maybe you missed her prime, where she finished opponents in 16 seconds, 14 seconds, and 34 seconds, all in title defenses in the UFC. Takedown, mount, arm-bar, rinse, repeat is basically what Rousey did for years. It made her the biggest star in the sport in her day. So ignore the likes of ex-pro wrestling manager and modern-day internet troll Jim Cornette (if Cornette ever recommended a restaurant, your best bet would be to flee in the opposite direction). There was no need to fix this fight; the outcome was a forgone conclusion from the start.

Whether MVP MMA is a promotion or not doesn’t matter

Speaking of bad takes, here’s another one: MVP MMA doesn’t matter, because it’s not a “promotion” in the traditional sense.

Here’s what actually doesn’t matter: whether or not MVP MMA is a promotion. In fact, it might be better if it isn’t.

Yes, MVP was playing with house money on Saturday. Netflix gave them a budget, had them work within it, and they put on the best show possible with the biggest names they could find. Now, that’s far different from investing in the sport, putting on multiple cards a month, and signing up a few hundred fighters to exclusive contracts. But isn’t that the problem? Exclusive contracts, and fighters not being able to make money elsewhere? At least if you’re a fighter anyway.

Netflix was a player in negotiations with the UFC for their latest broadcast deal, which ultimately saw Paramount+ become the exclusive home of the promotion in the U.S. and select other territories. Paramount Skydance arguably overpaid at $1.1 billion a year, but they’re trying to make their streaming service a real competitor. It’s a calculated risk, in other words.

Netflix is already number one, and the streaming giant wasn’t interested in Apex Slop. They wanted only the biggest UFC cards, the numbered events, which would have left UFC events split between broadcasters. Not impossible, the UFC, WWE, and other companies have done that repeatedly over the years. But Paramount came in with the sweetheart deal and snatched it all up.

MVP, should they move forward, likely will not be putting on multiple shows per month. Jake Paul has suggested maybe six or so a year. Which means no exclusive contracts, unless maybe only to a handful of top stars. And isn’t that a win, in a sense? Independent contractors should be free to fight where they please. Francis Ngannou spent years breaking free of the UFC’s shackles to get exactly this, the opportunity to take his services to the highest bidder. And MVP is going to be a very high bidder if they can keep putting on big events.

The disclosed payouts for Rousey vs. Carano, by the way, are worth looking at. California still releases disclosed fighter pay, and Rousey topped the payroll at $2.2 million U.S. Carano took home just north one $1 million, and Francis Ngannou earned $1.5 million. No one on the card made less than $40,000 in disclosed pay, far, far better than the UFC’s entry level fight purse of $12,000 to show, and another $12,000 to win.

In comparison, Rousey made $3 million for her final UFC fight, in 2016 in a loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. Rousey, however, was making her much-anticipated return following the first defeat of her career. Her star power was at its peak. Nunes made a paltry $200,000 in show/win money in comparison.

Nganou? In his final UFC fight in 2022, he made just $600,000 for a win over Ciryl Gane. That was a flat fee, with no win bonus.

Tell me again why it matters if MVP MMA is a true promotion or not, if they’re offering even limited opportunities for fighters to be paid as well or better than they are in the UFC. Now, these numbers don’t reflect the PPV bonuses the UFC offers top stars (lower-tier fighters get no such luck), at least when PPV still existed, but the same is true of MVP’s numbers: they do not include any bonuses tied to viewership, promotional activities, etc.

In any case, a show that pays well, even just in one-offs here and there, is a good thing for MMA.

The post Rousey vs. Carano Aftermath: Ups, Downs, and Really Bad Takes appeared first on Cageside Press.

Jake Paul’s MVP, who hosted the card, had tried to secure bigger name opponents for “The Predator,” who left the UFC when his contract expired without ever losing his heavyweight championship. That included Rico Verhoeven, the GLORY kickboxing legend. Yet in the end they had to settle for Philipe Lins, the 2018 PFL heavyweight champion who like Ngannou had left the UFC on a win streak.

Despite Lins pedigree (he’d won four straight at the end of his UFC run), the Brazilian wasn’t given much of a chance against Ngannou. And he didn’t last long, knocked out towards the end of the opening round.

Ngannou (19-3) has now won both his fights in MMA since exiting the UFC. The question now becomes, what’s next? The dream fight is Jon Jones, but Jones is unlikely to free himself from the grasp of the UFC, who seemingly shattered their relationship with “Bones” by refusing to let him compete on the White House card.

“I think it’s up to Jon Jones, and I can give you something if you want,” Ngannou said following the event at the Intuit Dome when asked about Jones, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press. “I’ve been thinking about it, if I was him. I don’t know if there’s a sunset on that contract anymore. What I know, he signed his contract in 2023, so three years [prior to] now. So the sunset is two years from now. I’m just saying, hypothetically.”

A sunset clause in his contract is how Ngannou escaped the UFC. Whether Jones has one is unknown, though he was on hand working the broadcast desk during the event. In any case, the UFC wasn’t taking Saturday’s Netflix card lightly. They opted to announce Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 just as Ngannou was making his walk to the cage.

“And what the f*ck do I have to do with that? So I should stop my walkout and look what is going on with— I don’t care, bro,” Ngannou said in response to one reporter who opted to bring it up. “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 he wants.”

Ngannou did respond to Robelis Despaigne, who called Ngannou out after his own knockout of former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos.

“I’m down to fight, and if he thinks he can handle [me], okay. Why not?”

“He did make a statement, he had a great finish,” Ngannou added. “So after a finish like that, it’s hard to argue, to take something out of somebody.”

The options out there for Francis Ngannou do seem limited. Jon Jones is unlikely. Someone decided to bring up Brock Lesnar’s name on Saturday, probably for a headline, given Lesnar hasn’t fought professionally in a decade and is winding down his professional wrestling career. KSW has Phil De Fries, and PFL boasts Vadim Nemkov, both of who would be interesting names.

Ngannou just seems to want the biggest fight possible.

“What do I want? Whatever is out there. I really have nothing special. I mean, if not maybe that Jon Jones fight, some big fight. But I really have nothing special, I just want to keep doing it as long as we go. If I have something, I do it. I think I have done what could have been done.”

Watch the full MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano post-fight press conference with Francis Ngannou above.

The post Francis Ngannou Envisions a Way for Jon Jones to Escape UFC appeared first on Cageside Press.

Saturday’s showdown between two aging women’s MMA stars had a big-fight feel to it whatever you thought of its relevance in 2026. Yet, a decade ago would have been the opportune time to book the fight, but after years of super-fights fizzling from GSP vs. Anderson Silva to Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor Emelianenko, at least Rousey vs. Carano came to pass.

The fact that it was on Netflix with the potential to become to most-watched MMA event in history essentially meant it was bound to be at least a moderate success. The real question was, whether the card could be entertaining enough, and draw enough fans, to warrant future events.

With Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz also on the card, there were certainly reasons to tune it. Ngannou was paired up with Philipe Lines, a former UFC fighter and PFL star who appeared to earn the opportunity by default when a larger-name opponent (including Rico Verhoeven) could not be secured. Diaz was in a more memorable pairing at least, against fellow ex-UFC star and BKFC “King of Violence” Mike Perry.

Following Saturday May 16’s MVP MMA 1: Rousey vs. Carano, tune in live for the night’s post-fight press conference above.

The post MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano Post-Fight Press Conference Live Stream appeared first on Cageside Press.

In the past several months, Ronda Rousey has made several headlines. She has expressed the differences in the business of the UFC today. She has said she is helping to build a competitor to her former home in the hopes of making the landscape of MMA better. She has said that the current holder of her former title is either underpaid or overvalued. Oh, and she is excited to face off against the pioneer who opened the doors for her: Gina Carano.

“Rowdy” may only have one opponent coming up inside the cage, but she’s drawn attention to plenty of topics outside of it.

Rousey said that when she was negotiating with the UFC for her comeback that she was confident in her ability to galvanize the fanbase and sell the first MMA event she would be competing on for the first time since 2016. She was telling the truth. At every juncture, Rousey has delivered on the microphone to make headlines that dominated the news cycle in the sport. Only, she has built up not the UFC but easily their biggest competition in several years.

In this way, the partnership with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions makes all the sense in the world. Paul has long built his reputation as a disruptor, and Rousey has said that she hopes building a new destination in the MMA landscape will create competition so that more fighters will be able to be compensated for the value they bring to a promotion.

#OnThisDay in 2014, @RondaRousey defended her belt in just 1️⃣6️⃣ seconds ⏱

[ Watch more Ronda fights now on @UFCFightPass ] pic.twitter.com/mfGMU5xgPw

— UFC (@ufc) July 5, 2022

But fighting the machine is a broad battle and Rousey has put faces to her foes. Specifically, she’s taken umbrage with her former Olympic teammate and roommate who has now gone on to win the same UFC belt that she once held: Kayla Harrison. When Harrison was asked about the fight between Rousey and Carano, Harrison said that the fight was irrelevant given the amount of time the two have been away from the sport. Rousey responded by saying that if Harrison were indeed more relevant than her than why was her fight with Amanda Nunes not bringing them more money? As she said, if Harrison was right then it meant that Harrison was either “overvalued or underpaid.”

In one press tour, Rousey had said she wanted to build a competitor to the UFC and built up one of the biggest conflicts between female fighters seen in many years between herself and the current UFC champion. In short, she was building up a rival to the UFC while also creating a fight that fans wanted to see inside of it. Ironically, the individual she seems to hold the least amount of animosity towards in the whole cast involved in her return is the woman she is actually scheduled to fight in Carano.

Then there is the fight Rousey has managed to sidestep along the way: her health. In every appearance and video released, Rousey looks exceptionally fit ahead of her comeback. But by her own admission, both in her book and in multiple interviews, she has struggled since her time as an Olympic Judoka with concussions. Specifically she said blows to the head would leave her exceptionally stunned, more than she should’ve been given the severity (or more the lack thereof) of the shots. In fact, she said she fought so aggressively to finish fights quickly out of necessity so that there would be less chances for opponents to land shots that would hurt her.

It will be nearly three years since Rousey last had a match in the WWE. It will be ten years this December since her last MMA fight. That is a long time to let your head heal and recover. But, such longstanding issues are never guaranteed to go away completely. On paper, Rousey is heavily favored to get the job done again this Saturday. Should she still be compromised in some way, it could be the factor that blows the door off the hinges for a Carano upset.

The post MVP MMA: The Multiple Fights of Ronda Rousey appeared first on Cageside Press.

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 def. Gina Carano by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 0:17
Mike Perry def. Nate Diaz by TKO (corner stoppage), Round 2, 5:00
Francis Ngannou def. Philipe Lins by KO, Round 1, 4:31
Salahdine Parnasse def. Kenneth Cross by TKO, Round 1, 4:18
Robelis Despaigne def. Junior dos Santos by KO, Round 1, 2:01

Preliminary card (YouTube)

Namo Fazil def. Jake Babian by submission (d’arce choke), Round 2, 0:58
Adriano Moraes def. Phumi Nkuta by technical submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 4:59
Jason Jackson def. Jefferson Creighton by knockout, Round 1, 0:22
David Mgoyan def. Albert Morales by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-27)
Aline Pereira def. Jade Masson-Wong by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Brandon Jenkins def. Chris Avila by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

The post MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

How a women’s fighting trailblazer wound up paired up against a UFC superstar is well-known by now: the UFC had the fight booked, but when they opted to go with Paramount+ as broadcaster, they chose to let it go. Pay-Per-View was gone, and with it, the bonus system that would have given Rousey the biggest payday of her career.

And so Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and their Most Valuable Promotions, best known for Paul’s freakshow boxing endeavors, stepped up to the plate. Securing a spot on Netflix, the world’s largest streamer, and adding names like Francis Ngannou, Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, and even KSW star Salahdine Parnasse to the event.

Rousey vs. Carano is an easy win with casual fans looking to kill a bit of time on Saturday night. Netflix has the numbers to generate plenty of eyeballs. Whether the card warrants a sequel will be one big question, with MVP planning between four and six events annually, at least to start, if all goes well.

MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano Weigh-In Results

Main card

Women’s Featherweight: Ronda Rousey (142) vs. Gina Carano (141.4)
Welterweight: Nate Diaz (168.6) vs. Mike Perry (169.6)
Heavyweight: Francis Ngannou (257) vs. Philipe Lins (220.6)
Lightweight: Salahdine Parnasse (154.8) vs. Kenneth Cross (155.4)
Heavyweight: Junior dos Santos (245.4) vs. Robelis Despaigne (258.8)

Preliminary card

Welterweight: Namo Fazil (170.8) vs. Jake Bobian (171)
Catchweight (130lb): Adriano Moraes (129) vs. Phumi Nkuta (130)
Welterweight: Jason Jackson (170.8) vs. Jefferson Creighton (168.2)
Featherweight: David Mgoyan (145.2) vs. Albert Morales (143.8)
Catchweight (130lb): Aline Pereira (128) vs. Jade Masson-Wong (129.2)
Catchweight (165lb): Chris Avila (164) vs. Brandon Jenkins (164.2)

The post MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano Weigh-In Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Dwarfing the UFC Vegas 117 Fight Night card that same night, the event sees one of the UFC’s biggest stars of the 2010s, Ronda Rousey, return for one last fight against women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano.

Also on the star-studded card, Mike Perry and Nate Diaz throw down, while MMA’s lineal heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou takes on former PFL and UFC fighter Philipe Lines.

While there have and will be complaints about the time Rousey and Carano have been away from the sport, since 2016 and 2009 respectively, there are plenty of bright spots on the card. One is Salahdine Parnasse, the former KSW double champ, considered one of the best featherweights outside the UFC. Another is undefeated flyweight Phumi Nkuta, who steps in to replace ex-UFC star Muhammad Mokaev on short notice opposite former ONE champ Adriano Moraes.

With Netflix being in more homes than any other streamer, MVP’s first foray into MMA is almost certain to be big. How big will likely dictate what, if any, future cards they put on, but they’ve at least pulled out all the stops for their debut.

Ahead of the event, tune in for the pre-fight press conference above, starting on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 9:30PM ET, 6:30PM PT.

The post MVP MMA 1: Rousey vs. Carano Pre-Fight Press Conference Live Stream appeared first on Cageside Press.

There’s zero question that Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano are stars. Until some poorly worded tweets a few years back, Carano was on the verge of landing her own Star Wars spin-off, appearing as Cara Dune on The Mandalorian in a very well-received role. Carano, who was arguably the original women’s MMA superstar, then hit a wall and wound up in a wrongful dismissal with Disney that was eventually settled out of court.

Rousey? Well, after ending her UFC career off back-to-back losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, she transitioned to a very successful stint in the WWE. With pro wrestling behind her, it seemed like Rousey was set to focus on family life, while also dipping her toe in the management game.

Then came the opportunity to fight one last time. Originally, Rousey vs. Carano was set for the UFC, with the promotion giving “Rowdy” the best deal of her career. But when the company opted to sign with Paramount+ as its new U.S. broadcast home, Pay-Per-View went the way of the Dodo. Rousey’s big payday was reliant on PPV bonus points (extra money based on sales of the event), and with that no longer on the table, the fight was off the table, at least in the UFC.

Enter Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and Most Valuable Promotions. They scooped up the fight, and with a working relationship with Netflix already thanks to Paul’s boxing exploits, secured a broadcast home there. Adding Francis Ngannou versus Philipe Lins (originally, other names had been offered, including kickboxing superstar Rico Verhoeven), plus Mike Perry versus Nate Diaz, the card now had all the name value it needed, with one caveat:

All but Ngannou, the current lineal heavyweight champion in MMA, have trailed off over the years. Well, arguably Lins as well, but his lower profile means he isn’t even on the radar of the casual fans Netflix is hoping to draw in here. In any case, Rousey hasn’t fought since 2016, Carano since 2009. Nate Diaz has dabbled in boxing since leaving the UFC. Mike Perry has had more success as a bare-knuckle fighter than he ever did in MMA.

Still, MVP has smartly stacked the card with real talent, including KSW star Salahdine Parnasse, arguably the best featherweight outside the UFC, rising flyweight prospect Phumi Nkuta (replacing Muhammad Mokaev, who encountered visa issues), Aline Pereira (sister of “Poatan”) and others.

Wednesday saw the big names involved participate in open workouts ahead of the event, which you can check out below.

Salahdine Parnasse Open Workout

Junior Dos Santos Open Workout

Nate Diaz Open Workout

Mike Perry Open Workout

Philipe Lins Open Workout

Francis Ngannou Open Workout

Gina Carano Open Workout

Ronda Rousey Open Workout

The post Rousey, Carano, Ngannou and More Show Off Moves at MVP MMA Open Workouts appeared first on Cageside Press.

A UFC title? Check

Major boxing pay days? Check

When looking at the career of Francis Ngannou, one can say he’s accomplished almost anything one could hope for. “The Predator” recorded victories (most by knockout) over multiple former UFC champions and top contenders en route to becoming the world champion himself. Today, he is still the lineal UFC heavyweight champion as he defeated the last title holder while not being defeated himself since then. For those unfamiliar, he elected to leave the UFC once completing his contract despite being the reigning champion back in 2023.

🇨🇲Francis Ngannou 🆚 Renan Ferreira 🇧🇷

▶️Watch the full fights on the PFL MMA YouTube Channel or PFL App TODAY!
🔗 https://t.co/kzDZUQYihu pic.twitter.com/nAswFpgixD

— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 7, 2025

It’s true, fights with Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall were left behind to never materialize for Ngannou. But something arguably better came to him. A pair of highly lucrative pay days to compete in boxing, against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua respectively. Ngannou came up short in both contests, but he was paid millions more than he would have made by staying in the UFC.

He was a part of the PFL during this stretch, but as things would turn out would only compete once in MMA for them. Since then, there was question of what the future held for Ngannou with the UFC chapter seemingly in the rear-view and no big fight on the horizon for him outside of the Octagon.

Instead, this opportunity for Ngannou appears to set him up for a big opportunity. He has already stoked the flames of a potential clash with Jake Paul. He will be fighting on a platform on Netflix that has already shown they like working with Paul. Assuming Ngannou defeats former PFL season champion and UFC vet Philipe Lins, which he is heavily favored to do so, and all the ingredients appear in place for Ngannou to set up one more big fight.

The post MVP MMA: Francis Ngannou’s Next Chapter appeared first on Cageside Press.

While UFC CEO and President Dana White has insisted that Jones was never going to headline the show, the fighter has been insistent that negotiations were ongoing up to this past Friday.

On Saturday, the promotion announced the Freedom 250 card, headlined by Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje, and featuring Alex Pereira taking on Ciryl Gane for a interim heavyweight title while champ Tom Aspinall recovers from eye surgery.

Aspinall is now one of two unlikely supporters backing Jones in his latest falling out with the promotion. The current heavyweight champ petitioned to fight Jones last year, with a fight briefly being agreed to before “Bones” backed out.

“This is probably going to be crazy to a lot of people listening, but why is the UFC not giving Jon the respect he deserves financially? That’s crazy to me,” Aspinall said on The Ariel Helwani Show recently.

“If anyone should be getting paid a lot in this sport, it should be Jon Jones for the stuff that he’s done. And that’s me saying that!” Aspinall exclaimed. “After the history that I’ve had with Jon Jones.”

“They offered him $30 million to fight me. Why don’t they offer it again? I don’t understand,” he finished.

Would-be foe Francis Ngannou, who fans have long wanted to see face Jones, has also spoken out in support of the man many consider MMA’s Greatest of All Time (GOAT).

“Watching this story unfold yesterday was very interesting,” Ngannou wrote on social media. “I have lots to say, but for now, Jonny boy, if you manage to get your freedom, then let me know. You deserve that $30M+ after everything you’ve done for the sport, and they should be rolling out the RED CARPET for you.”

Jon Jones campaigned for a spot on the White House card for months and returned to the UFC’s drug testing pool after a brief retirement to facilitate the opportunity. Jones is undefeated in his career save for a DQ loss to Matt Hamill for illegal 12-6 elbows, which have since been permitted under the Unified Rules of MMA.

After his latest fracture with the UFC, Jones has requested his release from the promotion.

The post Jon Jones Backed in UFC Feud by Two Unlikely Supporters appeared first on Cageside Press.