Rogan On Rousey’s Call For Increased Fighter Pay

Rousey revealed that negotiations to hold the Carano fight in the UFC broke down because the promotion refused to offer a “guaranteed money” deal that matched her status. Despite having a strained relationship with Rousey in late 2025—following her comments questioning his combat sports expertise—Rogan sided with the former champion.

“Look, she made some good points. The most important thing is that she gets the conversation out there and it puts pressure on the UFC to pay people more… If Netflix can kind of do the boxing thing on Netflix with big-name stars, they could be a major player, and that will elevate everybody’s pay scale. If what she’s saying doesn’t make any sense, she can’t say it, right? So, if what she’s saying makes sense, then you have to go, she’s got a point… If more players get involved in this and more people become free agents, it could get very interesting,” Rogan said

Implications

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With the $1.1 billion annual average from Paramount, the UFC’s income is more stable than ever, yet entry-level contracts for most fighters still hover around the $12,000 to show / $12,000 to win mark. For a fighter who competes twice a year and goes 1-1, their gross income of $36,000 is often halved by taxes, management fees (10-20%), and training camp costs.

In the previous era, stars could negotiate for “PPV points” to share in the upside of a massive hit. Under the 2026 Paramount deal, PPVs are largely eliminated in favor of a flat subscription model. This “buys” the UFC security but effectively “caps” the earning potential of its stars unless the promotion offers massive flat guarantees—something Rousey claims they refused to do for her fight against Gina Carano, leading her to sign with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix.

By taking her fight to Netflix, Rousey is proving that high-profile talent no longer needs the UFC “Octagon” brand to reach a massive audience. If Netflix’s May 16 event is a success, it validates Rousey’s claim that the UFC’s refusal to evolve its pay structure is “bleeding talent” to competitors.