Ronda Rousey enjoyed a wondrous day at the office on Saturday night, dispatching of Gina Carano in 17 seconds with her patented armbar to collect her first MMA win in more than a decade.
She was rewarded handsomely for her efforts, leaving Intuit Dome with millions more in her bank account than she had before.
The question remained, though: just how did Rousey’s payday at MVP MMA 1 compare to the ones she collected under the UFC’s banner? Rousey has been one of the MMA superpower’s loudest critics in the years since she stepped away from the company, alleging the promotion leaves fighters in financial ruin.
Did she chart a new path forward with her showcase against Carano? Here’s a look at how Rousey’s UFC earnings compared to the ones she fielded for her tilt with Carano on Saturday night.
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How much money did Ronda Rousey make in UFC?
UFC doesn’t officially disclose fight purses, so Rousey’s career earnings with the organization are somewhat steeped in murkiness. Nevertheless, she reportedly took home $6.5 million in 2015, according to Forbes.
Rousey revealed that she was the highest-paid fighter on the UFC roster at that time, with $3 million of that total coming from salary and earnings. Per Forbes, the other $3.5 million stemmed from Rousey’s business holdings; she had endorsement deals with Reebok, Metro PCS, Monster headphones and Carl’s Jr. at the time.
Rousey continued to collect impressive checks even as her powers began to wane. According to Bloody Elbow, Rousey took home $4.88 million in her final UFC fight, a knockout defeat to Amanda Nunes.
All told, Rousey is believed to have earned between $15 and $16 million during her UFC career. That’s good for an average of nearly $2 million a fight.
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How much money did Ronda Rousey make vs. Gina Carano?
The California State Athletic Commission released fight purses following the conclusion of the Rousey vs. Carano card. Rousey earned $2.2 million for her fight with Carano, a healthy figure, but one that pales in comparison to the payday she reportedly collected following the Nunes fight.
There’s a catch, though. The numbers reflect only payouts disclosed to the California commission. Rousey ostensibly could have taken home discretionary bonuses from MVP and Netflix that would increase her final payout markedly.
Rousey criticized UFC’s wage system in the lead-up to Saturday’s fight, saying the promotion leaves many fighters “living in poverty level.”
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Ahead of Saturday’s fight, Rousey indicated that she and Carano were set to make a record-setting sum of money in their contest. Rousey said that she was unable to reveal the figures of her contract. But she claimed that her contract would see her earn “multitudes more” than she did during her UFC career.
“There’s a multiplication sign involved,” Rousey said, per Bloody Elbow.
Speaking with reporters post-fight, Rousey revealed that much of her compensation revolved around her promotion of the fight. Those numbers likely wouldn’t factor into the CSAC’s purse evaluation.
Ronda Rousey: I was compensated, not just for my fighting services. I also was promoting this event as well, so I think it’s literally on the contract that I’m not supposed to tell people..I’m very happy and very grateful and me and my husband are gonna go house shopping in… pic.twitter.com/whUlqFZHTJ
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) May 17, 2026
Rousey also indicated that she was happy with her purse.
“I’m very happy and very grateful and me and my husband are gonna go house shopping in Hawai’i after this,” Rousey said.
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