Ronda Rousey Rebuts Khamzat Chimaev Ahead of Gina Carano Return Fight

Ronda Rousey used a fight-week press conference to directly rebut Khamzat Chimaev’s criticism of her stance toward the UFC, saying she is grateful to former UFC leaders but does not owe TKO, the company that now owns the promotion. Her comments came as Rousey prepared for her first MMA fight in nearly a decade, when she is scheduled to face Gina Carano on Saturday, May 16, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, with the bout set to stream live on Netflix at 9 p.m. ET.

The exchange began after Chimaev, in remarks delivered during his own fight-week cycle, suggested Rousey would not have become who she is without the UFC and argued her criticism of UFC pay and structure amounted to ingratitude. Chimaev’s comments were reported as coming in the wake of his recent loss to Sean Strickland, which ended his first title defense.

Rousey, asked about Chimaev’s characterization, framed the dispute as one of loyalty to the UFC’s former leadership rather than the organization’s current ownership. She said she owes “Dana and the Fertittas” immensely, referring to Dana White and the late Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who led the UFC for much of her career. She then drew a sharper line...