A public spat has erupted between former UFC star Ronda Rousey and boxing promoter Jake Paul on one side, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and its president Dana White on the other, over recent audience figures. The contention follows the UFC's 'UFC 250 Freedom' event, held last week at the White House, which reportedly did not outstrip the viewership achieved by a Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) fight featuring Rousey earlier this year.
US broadcaster Paramount stated that UFC 250 Freedom, which took place on the South Lawn of the US President's residence, reached seven million people in the US alone via Paramount+. Across the US and Latin America, the event averaged 8.2 million viewers. Paramount further claimed that 17 million people watched at least one minute of the event in these regions, with 15.3 million of those in the US. These live audience figures were reportedly verified by Nielsen, the industry standard for TV viewership, and Adobe Analytics.
However, Netflix had previously reported significantly higher numbers for Rousey's 15-second victory over Gina Carano in May. That event garnered a US average audience of 9.3 million, with a peak US audience of 11.6 million. Notably, Netflix did not disclose any figures beyond the US and did not specify if these numbers were verified by Nielsen or any other independent body.
Reacting to the UFC's figures, Jake Paul, who co-founded MVP with Nakisa Bidarian, took to social media platform X, stating: "As a boxing promoter it feels good waking up today being the biggest MMA promoter." This comment continues Paul's history of public taunting directed at UFC president Dana White. Rousey herself, who chose to fight under an MVP banner rather than the UFC due to purse demands, directly challenged UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell, remarking, "Lmao! Kiss my ass, Hunter Campbell."
The UFC White House event, which featured two title fights, culminated in American Justin Gaethje, a known supporter of President Trump, upsetting the odds to defeat Ilia Topuria in the main event. Gaethje, aged 37, secured the UFC lightweight title for the first time, delivering what some described as a 'fairytale ending' to the event on the President's 80th birthday.
The ongoing dispute highlights the growing competition for viewership in the combat sports landscape, with new entrants like MVP challenging established organisations like the UFC, particularly as streaming platforms like Netflix become significant players in broadcasting live events.
Source: Paramount, Netflix, X