Ronda Rousey had said her Saturday fight with Gina Carano would set a purse record for female fighters and called the bout “a landscape-shifting moment for the sport.” Pay for all fighters on the card had been a significant issue during the leadup to the event. According to the California State Athletic Commission, Rousey received a purse of $2.2M, with Carano being paid $1.05M. The figures do not include “any discretionary bonuses from the promotion, or potential earnings from Netflix viewership numbers and ticket sales.” No fighter received less than $40,000 on the list of disclosed pay, as promoters had said. Francis Ngannou made $1.5M for his first-round knockout of Philipe Lins (MMA JUNKIE, 5/17). After the bout, Rousey was asked about the disclosed figures. 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 Hawaii after this” (X, 5/17).
Rousey makes $2.2M for Netflix fight
