Longtime UFC analyst Joe Rogan believes Ronda Rousey’s critical remarks about the promotion’s pay structure could lead to major reform.
UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey is at the center of one of the biggest nights in combat sports this year when she returns to the cage against Gina Carano in May. Rousey and Carano headline a stacked card promoted by Most Valuable Promotions, featuring Francis Ngannou’s comeback and Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry.
This will mark Rousey’s first MMA fight in nine years, stemming from back-to-back losses to Amanda Nunes and Holly Holm in the UFC. As Rousey prepares for her comeback, she has taken repeated shots at her former employer, including most recently against UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell.
At the inaugural Rousey vs. Carano pre-fight press conference, Rousey scorched UFC CEO Dana White and the promotion for how the UFC compensates its athletes. She called the UFC ‘one of the worst places for fighters’ and ramped up the ongoing fighter pay debate to another level.
Longtime UFC analyst Joe Rogan, an advocate for fighters to get paid more, believes Rousey’s viral rant could lead to significant change.
Joe Rogan praises Ronda Rousey after ‘pressuring’ comments about UFC fighter pay
In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan shared a surprising stance against his longtime employer.
Ronda Rousey just went on a rant about the UFC’s fighter pay 😳
“The UFC is one of the worst places to go. Their champions like Valentina are selling pictures of their t*tties on OnlyFans.
They just got $7.7 billion dollars. There’s no reason they can’t pay their athletes.” pic.twitter.com/TkaB6ljymb
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) March 10, 2026
“Look, she made some good points,” Rogan said of Rousey’s remarks.
“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?” Rogan continued on Rousey. “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.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)
As of this writing, neither White nor Campbell has publicly responded to Rousey’s critical remarks about the UFC and its business practices.
What is your prediction for Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano? Let us know in the comments!