Rousey vs Carano: Ronda Rousey gets perfect ending with 15-second win over Gina Carano

Rousey described the incident as a potentially direction-changing moment in MMA, with the potential to challenge the UFC’s dominance if regular events occur under that banner.

“If the UFC paid its fighters better, he wouldn’t be here,” Rousey said in an interview with BBC Sport before the fight.

Rousey criticized the UFC’s fighter pay and suggested she wants the MVP-Netflix partnership to provide an alternative for fighters.

During the broadcast, former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who works as a pundit, also shed light on the restrictions of UFC contracts, saying a bout with Francis Ngannou was unlikely due to his affiliation with the organization despite retiring last year.

The UFC was a constant talking point during fight week, and the organization seemed to take notice by announcing Conor McGregor would take on Max Holloway during the broadcast.

McGregor is one of the biggest MMA stars of all time, so his announcement of his return after a five-year absence from the sport means the story will rival Rousey’s headlines in the media.

It also indicates that the UFC is taking this into consideration, too.

“This shows how much pressure we are under. Young, insecure kids are trying to get through our event and try to get some news on us – it’s not going to work,” Paul said.

“Dana White, all be prepared, because this is a takeover.”

In the UFC, less than 20% of revenue goes towards fighter salaries, while in boxing, fighters can expect to receive 60% of event revenue.

Released fight purses show each fighter on the card received a minimum of £28,800 ($40,000), with Rousey collecting £1.7 million and Ngannou £1.1 million.

By comparison, the UFC pays its entry-level fighters around £8,960 ($12,000) to £14,900 plus performance-based bonuses.