Matt Brown has weighed in on Ronda Rousey’s ongoing criticism of the UFC—and while he doesn’t fully agree with her approach, he understands where she’s coming from.
Rousey is set to make her long-awaited return to MMA on May 16 under Most Valuable Promotions, where she will face Gina Carano in a high-profile bout expected to stream live on Netflix. In the buildup to the fight, Rousey has taken several shots at the UFC, including criticism of executive Hunter Campbell and the promotion’s evolving business model.
Speaking on The Fighter vs. The Writer, Matt Brown didn’t hold back, but he also made it clear that Rousey’s frustrations are not entirely misplaced.
“First off, I think I would start with, and I can’t believe I’m going to do this, but I’m going to defend Ronda a little bit,” Brown said. “That’s the oddest thing ever because Ronda is her own worst enemy and a very difficult person to defend.”
Brown pointed to the UFC’s shift away from the traditional pay-per-view model as a key factor behind Rousey’s frustration.
“There’s no way to truly make a lot of money. Pay-per-view points was how she made the biggest paycheck,” Brown explained. “I think that was the initial thing that rubbed her the wrong way.”
“She said herself she approached the UFC to fight Gina Carano first and then because of the streaming model, she ends up not going with the UFC and going with Netflix… but she’s getting however much she’s getting paid.”
While Matt Brown acknowledged that Rousey raises valid concerns about fighter pay, he questioned her intentions behind the criticism.
“But I get where she’s coming from on that, and I don’t think she’s wrong on a lot of things that she’s saying,” Brown said. “She’s not the only one saying it… there is so much negativity and complaining about the UFC lately. It’s crazy.”
At the same time, Brown believes Rousey’s reaction is deeply personal rather than a broader attempt to push for change in the sport.
“I think her real intentions are a pity party thing and she does that a lot,” Brown said. “She plays that victim mentality a lot… I think she has a lot of internal issues that kind of come out in the public.”
“She’s not necessarily saying all this to try and change the sport… she wants the attention, and she wants to say something that gets people’s emotions going about her. But she’s not wrong either.”
Matt Brown also suggested that Rousey’s stance might have been different if the UFC had offered her the deal she wanted for the Carano fight.
“I don’t think she’s doing it because she thinks she’s going to invoke some change here in the world of MMA,” Brown said. “I think she’s doing it to get emotions out of people.”
“If they would have given her a good deal on this fight… she wouldn’t say anything about it. It all comes down to her.”
Still, Brown hopes that if Rousey truly wants to make a difference, she uses her platform to address bigger issues within the sport.
“If she actually wants to invoke some change, and actually wants to see a better sport, I hope that’s her intention,” Brown said. “People change. People grow up. People evolve.”
“As long as she’s out there saying the right things, I’ll overlook the actual intention behind it… at least someone who has a huge name is saying some of the right things.”
