Former UFC welterweight Matt Brown predicts the upcoming Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight will attract a large audience but leave many fans feeling it was not worth their time.
Brown compares the fight to a spectacle
Brown compared the May 16 fight to other high-profile spectacle bouts. He said it will “do big numbers” on Netflix, but questioned the lasting value for real fight fans. He drew a direct comparison to the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match, calling both events more about spectacle than high-level competition.
“How many times are we going to walk away from a fight and kind of feel icky and wish that we didn’t watch it? I think we’re going to feel the same thing with this fight. Feel like we wasted our time,” Brown said. He added that fans might not feel upset, but they could still feel disappointed.
Why Brown thinks the bout won’t satisfy fight fans
Brown said the fight will not give the technical or competitive depth that many MMA viewers expect. He argued that big, celebrity-driven matches can bring new viewers to combat sports, but those viewers may soon want to see real, competitive fights instead.
“People are going to become fight fans and they’re like, ‘I’m sick of this shit, can I just watch a real fight?’ Oh yeah, we have a place that does that. It has all the best fights in the world,” Brown said, referring to established MMA promotions known for deeper matchups.
Even if the two fighters put on a heated pre-fight show, Brown said it would not change his view. He suggested that even dramatic press conference moments would not create real confidence that the bout will be a great fight.
Comments on Rousey and Carano
Brown dismissed some of Ronda Rousey’s recent public statements as noise. He said her attacks on the UFC and comments about bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison do not seem serious and are not convincing to the public. “She seems like so angry about nothing sometimes. I don’t think anyone’s buying the schtick. Nobody believes that she’s going to do anything with Kayla Harrison,” he said.
On Gina Carano, Brown pointed to her 17-year absence from professional fighting. He said it is hard to see anything other than financial reasons behind her return. “She hasn’t fought in 17 years. Clearly she was done fighting and had no intention to fight again and then she gets a call and they offer her enough money where she’s like, ‘OK, well, I’ll do that.’ It’s hard to believe it’s anything other than a paycheck,” Brown said.
Fight details and what to expect
The Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight will headline a Netflix card on May 16. The event takes place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. The bout has drawn heavy interest because of the fighters’ names and their histories in combat sports and entertainment.
Brown expects big viewership numbers. He also expects many fans will look elsewhere for more competitive fights once the spectacle is over. Whether the match proves entertaining or disappointing, it will likely bring attention to MMA and potentially drive some viewers back to regular fight cards.
