Dream Jake Paul-Promoted MVP Main Events After Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano
If the numbers are any indication, there will be plenty more MMA on Netflix before too long.
The sport made its debut on the streaming giant last Saturday, with a card headlined by a clash of women's MMA legends, as former UFC champ Ronda Rousey took on fellow trailblazer Gina Carano.
The event, which was promoted by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotion, had its share of skeptics but ultimately went down as a huge success.
According to a press release from the promoters, viewership peaked at nearly 17 million during the main event, making it one of the most watched shows in the sport's history.
In other words, Netflix is most likely going to be interested in doing it all again.
If Netflix does continue airing the sport, it's a near-certainty that it will be in partnership with Paul and MVP. While that combination now has a proven track record of success, there are some challenges ahead.
The main one is going to be booking fights that, like Rousey vs. Carano, capture the attention of the fans in a meaningful way. That will be easier said than done.
Rousey will likely not be called again, as she seemingly hung up the gloves for good after submitting Carano just 15 seconds into their fight. That means MVP will need to look elsewhere for its next marquee matchup.
The options are a little slim, and it's likely the promotion will have to accept its second show will fall a bit short of the first, but there are some intriguing possibilities.
Here are four fights we think could serve as suitable headliners for the next MMA show on Netflix.
Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones
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Rousey and Carano were not the only household names to compete on Saturday's card on Netflix.
Earlier on the broadcast, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou made his long-awaited return to MMA, knocking out fellow UFC veteran Philipe Lins inside a round.
It wasn't the biggest win of Ngannou's career—Lins was clearly outmatched from the start—but it was a reminder that he is still the sport's lineal heavyweight king and still possesses the power to stop just about anybody in their tracks.
Given Ngannou's popularity and credibility as a world-class fighter, there's a good chance he will be involved in Netflix's next MMA main event. The big question is who he'll face.
In a perfect world, his opponent will be Jon Jones.
Jones, like Ngannou, is a former UFC heavyweight champion, but is better known for a legendary run at light heavyweight, which established him as arguably the greatest fighter of all time.
He and Ngannou have been linked to a fight for ages, but the UFC could not make it happen when they were both on the roster together. Years later, people still want it to happen—and that includes both fighters.
There is an obvious issue barring the creation of this contest, however. Jones, though officially retired from MMA, remains under contract with the UFC, which means he is not currently free to compete for another MMA promotion.
That said, there seems to be a glimmer of hope that this fight could happen. After watching Ngannou wipe out Lins, Jones, who was cageside for the fight, expressed an eagerness to get out of his UFC contract and optimism that such a thing is possible.
"I think getting out of my UFC contract is very, very possible," Jones told Denise White after the Netflix show. "I need to find the right people, go through my channels, or just put more effort into it."
It's a long shot, but stranger things have happened.
If it were to happen, it would be one of the biggest fights in MMA history and a far more meaningful matchup than Rousey's clash with Carano.
Francis Ngannou vs. Robelis Despaigne
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As big as a Ngannou vs. Jones fight would be, and as great as it would be to see UFC brass put ego and competition aside to allow it to happen, let's not hold our breath.
The odds of it happening at all are slim, and it's certainly not happening soon. That means, assuming MVP and Netflix want Ngannou in their next main event, they'll need to find him another opponent.
If that's the way things turn out, the best choice for his opponent is probably Robelis Despaigne.
Despaigne, a 6'7" giant from Cuba, was also in action on the Netflix card, scoring a brutal KO over former UFC champ Junior dos Santos.
It was exactly the kind of performance we've come to expect from the Cuban, who has also recently laid waste to several notable fighters in the Karate Combat pit. Like Ngannou, he is a devastating puncher, which makes a potential clash between them very alluring.
Of course, we need to address the elephant in the room. Despaigne also competed in the UFC, and despite an impressive knockout in his debut, was quickly exposed as a terrible grappler.
While Ngannou is known for his striking, he also showed off impressive grappling in his 2022 decision win over Ciryl Gane and has the skills to expose Despaigne on the mat.
In all likelihood, it wouldn't be a close fight, but it would have fans on the edges of their seats for every moment the two heavyweights are standing.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry
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While it seems likely Ngannou will be involved in the next MVP MMA headliner on Netflix, there are a few other possibilities.
One of the most interesting options will require Jake Paul to make good on years of talk and strap on some four-ounce MMA gloves himself.
Despite his sudden success as an MMA promoter, Paul has spent far more time involved in boxing, and he has participated in some of the biggest matches of the last few years.
Throughout his foray into "The Sweet Science," he has repeatedly expressed interest in trying his hand at MMA, even briefly signing with Professional Fighters League, though that partnership amounted to nothing.
Now would be a good time for him to come through on his many promises to give MMA a shot. While he would be seriously outmatched against any credible opponent, his boxing ability would give him a fighting chance, and his status as a legitimate mainstream celebrity guarantees people would watch, even if it's just to see him get beat up.
As a matter of fact, Paul is such a polarizing figure among fight fans that his MMA debut would be a guaranteed financial success regardless of the opponent. Of course, there's no reason they can't find him a fun dance partner anyway.
Arguably the best option right now is "Platinum" Mike Perry.
Perry entered the MMA limelight as a member of the UFC roster, where he developed a reputation for extreme violence, even if he didn't always win.
However, he has become an even bigger star since leaving the UFC. That's thanks in large part to an unbeaten run in the BKFC ring, but he also caught some mainstream shine in a 2024 boxing match with Paul, which he lost by decision.
Perry was also in action on Netflix, smashing fellow UFC veteran Nate Diaz to a stoppage win. In the immediate aftermath, he and Paul both expressed interest in a rematch under MMA rules. That immediately makes this fight a real possibility.
However, it would probably require a sign-off from BKFC, as Perry is still under contract with the promotion. It's hard to say if it would be willing to let him venture back into MMA to fight Paul, particularly after signing his longtime rival, Darren Till, but it's an intriguing option.
Mike Perry vs. Colby Covington
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Whatever the future holds for MVP in MMA, you can bet that it is paying close attention to the sport's free-agent circuit.
Paul and his team called on many talented free agents to round out its debut show on Netflix, including former Bellator champ Jason Jackson and ex-ONE champ Adriano Moraes, which showed how plugged in they are to the happenings of the sport.
Needless to say, MVP is probably well aware that Colby Covington is no longer under contract with the UFC.
Covington is one of the best welterweights of the last generation, with an interim UFC title win and victories over stars such as Tyron Woodley, Robbie Lawler and Jorge Masvidal to his credit.
His exit from the promotion's roster was announced earlier this week. His best days in the sport are clearly behind him, but the news also came as a bit of a surprise as he remains a big name, thanks in large part to his relentless trash talk.
While the 38-year-old's departure from the UFC is allegedly linked to his retirement from MMA, that's frankly hard to swallow.
As one of the biggest personalities in the sport, it's hard to believe he would retire so suddenly, without taking the opportunity to end his career with a big win over a respected name. After all, he hasn't fought since a stoppage loss to Joaquin Buckley in 2024—hardly the way most fighters would want to end their careers.
Of course, it's possible Covington has decided he's done, but there's a good chance he'll suddenly end his retirement in a few months. If he does, you can bet MVP will come knocking.
Covington is not the marquee attraction he once was, but he is still a big name and could headline a fight on Netflix with the right opponent.
Matching up with somebody like Perry would generate a lot of buzz, and Covington's wrestling would give him a decent shot at winning.
It's obviously nowhere near as big a fight as Rousey vs. Carano, but it would help keep MVP in the conversation in MMA while it works on bigger fights for further down the road.
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