Harrison Rebukes Rousey's Comeback Fight Hype

Kayla Harrison, the reigning UFC women's bantamweight champion, sharply rebuked Ronda Rousey for dismissing her achievements and hyping an upcoming comeback fight as the greatest in mixed martial arts history. The exchange escalated during promotions for Rousey's return bout against Gina Carano on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, marking the first MMA event to stream on Netflix.

Rousey, a 39-year-old former UFC champion and Olympic judo bronze medalist from 2008, has not competed in MMA since a 2016 knockout loss to Amanda Nunes that prompted her retirement. Her opponent, Carano, a 42-year-old pioneer in women's MMA who last fought in 2009, will join Rousey in a five-round featherweight main event under the Most Valuable Promotions banner. During a recent press conference, Rousey criticized Harrison's pay, questioning whether the 35-year-old titleholder is "overvalued or overpaid" compared to Rousey's earnings a decade ago. Rousey also portrayed the matchup as a landmark event that would drive unprecedented revenue and opportunities for fighters, calling it "the biggest MMA fight of all time."

Harrison, speaking on a UFC broadcast ahead of Fight Night 274,...