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MVP PROMOTIONS TOUTS THE RETURN OF RONDA ROUSEY TO MMA

MVP Promotions issued:

RONDA ROUSEY RETURNS IN HISTORIC FASHION, SUBMITS GINA CARANO IN 17 SECONDS DURING MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS’ INAUGURAL MMA EVENT, LIVE GLOBALLY ON NETFLIX FROM INTUIT DOME IN LOS ANGELES, CA

Los Angeles, CA  – May 16, 2026  –  In Most Valuable Promotions’ inaugural MMA event, former UFC champion and Olympic medalist Ronda Rousey (13-2, 10 submissions, 3 KOs) made a thunderous return to the cage, defeating women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano (7-2, 1 submission, 3 KOs) via vintage first-round armbar submission just 17 seconds into the scheduled five-round featherweight showdown at 145 lbs. In a moment that felt ripped from the height of Rousey’s dominant championship reign, the MMA superstar wasted no time overwhelming Carano before securing the signature armbar that helped define an era of the sport and elevate women’s MMA onto the global stage. Rousey landed one of her two total strikes before sealing the lightning-fast finish in front of a roaring crowd during the landmark evening for MVP MMA.

The blockbuster event streamed live globally only on Netflix at no additional cost to its 325+ million members and marked a major moment in combat sports as MVP and Netflix expanded their footprint into MMA following the historic success of their global boxing events. 

In the second of the night’s headline bouts, “Platinum” Mike Perry (15-8, 12 KOs) earned a brutal TKO victory over combat sports icon Nate Diaz (22-15, 14 submissions, 4 KOs) in a blood-soaked welterweight war contested at 170 lbs. From the opening bell, both fighters engaged in a relentless, action-packed battle that saw heavy exchanges and nonstop pressure throughout. Diaz’s corner ultimately stopped the contest at the conclusion of round two after the punishing back-and-forth. Perry landed an impressive 54.3% of his total strikes during the bout, and following the statement victory, joined Helwani for a post-fight interview where he called out Jake Paul for an MMA fight while also agreeing to a future rematch against Diaz.

In the first of the card's headline bouts, lineal MMA heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou (19-3, 14 KOs, 4 submissions) delivered a devastating first-round knockout victory over Brazil’s Philipe Lins (18-6, 9 KOs, 4 submissions). Ngannou showcased his trademark power throughout the bout, landing 64.4% of his total strikes before finishing Lins with a crushing knockout with just 29 seconds remaining in round one. Following the victory, Ngannou issued a callout to Jon Jones, further fueling anticipation around a potential future fight. Ngannou’s performance earned him MVP’s $100,000 Performance of The Night bonus.

Making his highly anticipated U.S. debut, France’s Salahdine Parnasse (22-2, 7 submissions, 4 KOs) delivered a breakout performance with a dominant first-round TKO victory over Kenneth Cross (17-4, 5 submissions, 7 KOs) in their lightweight bout contested at 155 lbs. Widely regarded as one of the sport’s premier international talents, Parnasse showcased his elite striking, composure, and relentless pressure from the opening bell, overwhelming Cross before unleashing a vicious finishing barrage that forced the referee to stop the contest at 4:18 of round one. The emphatic statement win introduced Parnasse to the U.S. audience in spectacular fashion and further cemented his status as one of MMA’s top pound-for-pound stars.

Opening the main card, Robelis Despaigne (6-2, 6 KOs) delivered a devastating first-round knockout victory over Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos (21-11, 1 submission, 15 KOs) in their heavyweight bout contested at 265 lbs. After a fast-paced opening exchange between the two heavy hitters, Despaigne landed a crushing combination of punches that stopped Dos Santos with 2:01 remaining in the first round. The finish marked one of the most explosive moments of the night from one of the division’s most dangerous knockout artists, leading Despaigne to call out Francis Ngannou following the bout.

In a high-octane preliminary card headliner, Namo Fazil (10-1, 4 submissions, 4 KOs) earned a second-round submission victory over Jake Babian (6-2, 1 submission, 4 KOs) in their welterweight bout contested at 170 lbs. After a back-and-forth opening round filled with heavy striking exchanges and grappling scrambles, Fazil secured the finish just 58 seconds into round two with a D’arce choke. The statement win capped off a thrilling preliminary card performance and further showcased Fazil’s skillset inside the cage.

Adriano Moraes (22-6, 12 submissions, 4 KOs) earned a technical submission victory over Phumi Nkuta (11-1, 2 submissions, 2 KOs) in their three-round catchweight bout contested at 130 lbs. In one of the most contested finishes of the night, Moraes locked in a rear-naked choke in the closing seconds of the final round, with officials later ruling Nkuta unconscious at 4:59 before the bell following a replay review. The thrilling stoppage earned Moraes vs Nkuta MVP’s $100,000 fight of the night bonus, with each fighter taking home $50,000. 

Jason Jackson (20-6, 4 submissions, 7 KOs) delivered one of the most explosive finishes of the night, knocking out Jefferson Creighton (12-3-1, 3 submissions, 2 KOs) just 22 seconds into the opening round of their welterweight bout contested at 170 lbs. Jackson secured the emphatic stoppage victory with a devastating punch that marked a statement-making performance on the preliminary card.

Also on the preliminary card, David Mgoyan (9-1, 1 submission, 5 KOs) showcased his striking power in a dominant unanimous decision victory (29-28, 30-26, 30-27) over Albert Morales (19-11, 6 submissions, 9 KOs) in a three-round featherweight bout contested at 145 lbs. Additionally, Aline Pereira (3-2) defeated Jade Masson-Wong (3-3, 1 KO) by split decision (29-28 x2, 27-30) following a three-round catchweight bout contested at 130 lbs. Opening the preliminary card, Brandon Jenkins (16-12, 3 submissions, 11 KOs) earned a split decision victory (29-28 x2, 28-29 Avila) over Chris Avila (9-9, 2 submissions, 5 KOs) after the pair went the distance in a three-round catchweight bout at 165 lbs.

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @Netflix, on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @Netflix, or on Netflix’s Tudum

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) 

Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) was founded in August 2021 by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian with a fighter first ethos. Since inception, MVP has produced 30 live boxing events and currently promotes nearly 60 fighters, 16 world champions, and 26 top contenders.

MVP has led boxing’s evolution in the streaming era through partnerships with the world’s leading platforms. In November 2024, MVP’s Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2 was the first-ever live professional sports event streamed on Netflix. Paul vs. Tyson shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event of all time with 125 million live viewers worldwide. MVP went on to partner with Netflix twice in 2025 for MVP’s Taylor vs. Serrano 3 and Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day.

Today, MVP is the global home of women’s boxing. MVP’s Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano in 2022 was the first female fight to headline Madison Square Garden, while Taylor vs. Serrano 2 in 2024 saw 74 million viewers globally on Netflix and became the most-watched professional women’s sports event in US history with 47 million AMA in the US. Their 2025 trilogy on Netflix topped an all-women’s megacard that set the official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most world championship belts ever contested on a single fight card, male or female, with 17 world titles, earning nearly 6 million viewers globally. 

About Netflix

Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services offering TV series, films, games and live programming across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time. 

About Intuit Dome

Intuit Dome, the home of the LA Clippers officially opened on August 15, 2024. In its first year, Intuit Dome has hosted over 100 live events and Clippers games and welcomed over one million fans. Located in Inglewood, Calif., Intuit Dome is built different and redefines fans' expectations for live experiences. To sign up to receive all Intuit Dome press releases and updates, email intuitdomepr@intuitdome.com and follow @IntuitDomePR.

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