On Saturday night in Inglewood, California, a major MMA event went down that did not have UFC on the banner. Most Valuable Promotions, with the help of streaming giant Netflix, looked to show there is life outside the Octagon and delivered an action-packed card full of finishes and cage-fighting greats at MVP MMA 1.
Following the events of the Rousey vs. Carano card inside the Intuit Dome, we look at some of the biggest takeaways from a rare successful MMA event not promoted by the UFC.
MVP should build to a Robelis Despaigne vs. Francis Ngannou fight
Two of the big standout performances on the MVP MMA 1 card came from the two large individuals competing on Saturday night. Former UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou and Karate Kombat champ Robelis Despaigne. Both delivered highlight reel knockouts, especially the Cuban over heavyweight legend Junior dos Santos.
If MVP can afford to bring Ngannou back for their next event, they should. Likewise for Despaigne. And with the ultimate goal being to build the latter up to feel like a legitimate threat to the Cameroonian. A potential clash between the two sizable heavyweights could easily headline MVP MMA 3 or 4 in 2027.
Rousey vs. Carano felt like Strikeforce reborn, and that’s a good thing
It has been a long time since there was a legit competitor to the UFC in terms of vibe. Sure, Bellator and the PFL have tried their best over the last five-plus years to seem like they were a worthwhile alternative to the UFC. However, you need to go back to the early 2010s and Strikeforce for the last time there was a strong No. 2 option in the MMA game.
On Saturday, MVP MMA 1 kind of felt like Strikeforce reborn, and that is a good thing. The California-based brand didn’t fail because it couldn’t deliver a good product. It unfortunately had owners unwilling to put in the money to make it a long-term success, and UFC ended up buying up its deep and talented roster.
With the way last night’s ring entrance was set up, Mauro Ranallo and Kenny Florian being a rock-solid team on commentary, and a card featuring some good action and finishes, including a submission win for Ronda Rousey, it felt like Strikeforce was revived. If that is what MVP MMA is going forward, that is a fantastic thing for MMA Fans.
More cross-promotion fights, please
MVP MMA 1 was an entertaining card, and one of the unique elements on it was a cross-promotion fight between the lightweight champion of Tuff-N-Uff and KSW champions Kenneth Cross and Salahdine Parnasse. That bout also delivered an exciting first-round finish and was a showcase of you lesser known talents in the sport for casual fans.
If MVP can continue to get top talent from regional promotions from around the world and have them face off, it could be a really fun showcase element to their fight cards that helps both the fighters and those promotions. More of that, please.
Rousey vs. Carano delivered an action-packed card
While the Rousey vs. Carano event started with three straight decisions on the preliminary card, the rest of the event was a roller coaster ride of blood, violence, and knockouts. In the end, that is all MMA fans want, and the lack of highlight reel moments was, or has been, one of the biggest problems for UFC competitors like Bellator and PFL.
MVP MMA 1 delivered value for fans, and the promotion could not have gotten a better card in their debut than they got on Saturday.
Fighters on the MVP MMA 1 card got paid well
A big issue for caring fight fans has been how the UFC’s monopolization of the sport has led to surprisingly low pay for their fighters. It has many in the boxing game also concerned, as TKO — the UFC’s parent company — looks to take the MMA world leaders’ fighter pay structure to the sweet science.
However, MVP co-boss Jake Paul has always made a point of trying to point out the pay issues for fighters in the UFC and put his money where his mouth was at MVP MMA 1. The CSAC released the fight purses for the promotion’s first MMA event, and no fighter made less than $40,000. Furthermore, three competitors made over $1 million, with Rousey leading the way with $2.2 million.
MVP MMA succeeding and forcing increases to fighters’ pay is a great possibility for the sport.
Rousey vs. Carano card felt big, and MMA desperately needed that
In the end, MVP MMA 1: Rousey vs. Carano just felt big. Whether you even wanted to see the two women’s MMA pioneers fight or not, when you watched it on Netflix, the event and their bout felt grand and meaningful. It felt like a blend of a UFC card and a major boxing event.
It has been two decades since an important event happened in MMA that had nothing to do with the UFC. The fact that the card delivered only added to its relevance. MVP MMA 1 was something the sport badly needed, and here’s hoping there are many more to come.
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