In his quest to outdo the UFC and Dana White as a businessman and fight promoter, Jake Paul recently made the bold claim that Ronda Rousey is making more money for her upcoming return fight against Gina Carano than Ilia Topuria.
Paul revealed his financial claim while speaking to former UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal on an episode of Death Row MMA on YouTube.
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“I know how much Ronda Rousey is making for this event, and it’s a lot more than what Ilia Topuria makes for fighting,” he told Masvidal.
Watch the full podcast episode here:
Ilia Topuria, who will defend his UFC lightweight belt at the UFC Freedom 250 event on White House property against interim champion Justin Gaethje, has not yet commented on Paul’s claim. Additionally, the pay for both Rousey and Topuria remains under wraps and cannot be verified as of right now.
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Paul also claimed that the lowest-paid fighters on the upcoming Rousey vs. Carano Netflix card make more money than the average UFC fighter.
Masvidal Gives Context
The host of the podcast, Masvidal, made sure to stand up for his former promotion and explain to Paul why he believes the UFC’s pay structure is necessary, at least early in a fighter’s career.
Jorge MasvidalStephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
“To be honest with you, in fighting, that 12 (thousand to show) and 12 (thousand to win)– or when I was fighting, it was, like, 4 and 4, that’s still like [six times] of what you make on the regional side,” Masvidal explained.
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At the same time, Masvidal made sure to advocate for an increase once a fighter reaches a certain point in their career, “Where we do need a dramatic change is more like when you’re in the top 10, top 15 already. Because in the beginning, I don’t have a problem with it because you’ve got to earn your keep, right?”
He continues, saying, “You’ve got to show that you are the cream that has risen from these new signings. You know, you beat all your classmates, now you’re in the better tier. That’s when they’ve got to start getting paid more because you get caught up in the system sometimes, and then when you’re in that mid-tier, sometimes those guys I feel could get compensated maybe a little better.”
“I feel like you’ve got to keep them hungry at that stage until we determine who either sells tickets or can actually fight,” he told Paul, justifying a lower pay for fighters just beginning their career.
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Jake Paul’s Mission
Paul, however, made sure his opinion on the UFC pay structure was clear, responding, “The difference is it would create better talent and better fighters because they wouldn’t have to be working other jobs in between training sessions.”
“It would actually grow the sport in the long run if these people making the minimum pay didn’t have to go be a teacher or a janitor or work for UPS, all of that stuff. It would actually make more talent,” he retorted.
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This upcoming Netflix event is a huge test for Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotion’s venture into MMA. The success of Rousey vs. Carano will determine whether upcoming MMA fighters will remain funneled into the UFC, or look into other promotions to build up their careers.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.