Mark Shapiro says TKO turned down Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano: ‘It was more of a stunt’

On May. 16, 2026, Ronda Rousey faced off against Gina Carano in their MMA return fights. With both women heavily prepared for the fight, fans witnessed a shocking finish to the bout when Rousey made Carano tap out under twenty seconds.

The card streamed live on Netflix under Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. Recently speaking at the JP Morgan Global Technology and Media Conference, TKO President Mark Shapiro admitted that TKO was one of the first companies to turn down the Rousey vs. Carano fight.

“It was pitched to us, and we did turn it down. That’s to take nothing away from Netflix. They are a great partner, and clearly, they know what they are doing across the board. They’re in the big event business. They want big spectacle events, and they saw that this is a big spectacle event. We’re in the true MMA business on a meaningful and consistent basis. When we looked at this potential match-up, keep in mind there is a real art and skill to match-making. When you ask Hunter Campbell and Dana White what they think of that matchup prior to it happening, the answer was, ‘That fight will be over in 20 seconds.’ They were off by a few seconds,” Shapiro said.

“I don’t think a fight like that, just the way it played out, is really good for MMA. Especially because it’s Netflix and they have an incredible global audience. For them to go to that fight and think that’s what MMA is, I don’t think is good for the sport long-term. We saw it that way and decided to pass on it. Taking nothing away from the legend of Ronda Rousey and the win she got. I guarantee incredible viewship numbers. For us, it was more of a stunt than a meaningful MMA event,” he said. The card also featured several other exciting matches, including Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins.

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