Nakisa Bidarian isn’t backing down from the criticism, and he’s got a point worth hearing.
The MVP MMA 1 card, which aired Saturday night on Netflix and drew 17 million viewers, delivered exactly what a debut promotion should: star power, spectacle, and results. Sure, Ronda Rousey submitted Gina Carano in 17 seconds—a stunning upset for those who believed a returning Carano could hang with one of MMA’s greatest. But Bidarian, co-founder and CEO of MVP, sees the narrative differently.
“I say, look at all these experts in the sport prior to the event who were saying Gina was going to win, right?”Bidarian said in an interview.“Some of the same people that are now be like,‘Oh yeah, that wasn’t fair.’Then why did you predict that?”It’s a fair call-out. Critics who had conviction before the fight suddenly rewrote history after Rousey’s dominance on display—the kind of legacy-defining performance that reminded everyone why“That’s what Ronda Rousey does,”as Bidarian noted.
Where MVP goes next tells you everything about the promotion’s ambitions. Bidarian confirmed a second MMA card is coming, and Netflix wants more. Jake Paul won’t be competing in MMA anytime soon—he’s expected back in boxing before year’s end—but Bidarian sees him stepping into the octagon by 2027 or 2028. As for Carano, Bidarian wants to give her another shot, this time with a full training camp and the physical tools she’s now rebuilt. A potential Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry rematch in Sacramento is also on the table.
With 17 million people watching on Netflix, MVP has already proved it can command attention in a sport dominated by the UFC. The question isn’t whether they’ll keep fighting—it’s how ambitious they’ll get.
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
