Khamzat Chimaev Hits Out At Ronda Rousey Over Her UFC Pay Critique With Blunt Response: “Who Cares?”
Khamzat Chimaev recently took a swipe at Ronda Rousey over her criticism of how the UFC conducts its business.
“Rowdy” is set to end her near decade-long absence from MMA when she faces fellow veteran Gina Carano in a five-round featherweight bout booked as the main event of Most Valuable Promotions’ (MVP) debut MMA show on May 16 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. The card will also mark the first live MMA event to be streamed on Netflix.
With her return on the horizon, Ronda Rousey has repeatedly taken aim at her former promoters in the UFC, openly criticizing how fighters are compensated and supported. Much of her frustration has been directed at pay issues, as she has made it a point to call out the promotion at every opportunity.
The UFC Hall of Famer also revealed that fighters competing on the MVP MMA card on May 16 will earn a guaranteed minimum of $40,000, with similar pay structures expected for future events. In contrast, entry-level UFC fighters are still widely reported to earn $10,000 to show and an additional $10,000 to win.
Khamzat Chimaev Brushes Off Ronda Rousey’s UFC Fighter Pay Criticism
UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev recently launched his YouTube channel, with his first video centered on preparations for his upcoming fight while also taking a moment to address Ronda Rousey’s recent criticism of the promotion.
While it wasn’t clear what prompted the discussion, “Borz” suggested that Rousey owes much of her success to the UFC, arguing that she likely wouldn’t have reached the same level of fame or financial success without the promotion elevating her into a global star during her tenure in the organization.
“There never would have been Ronda Rousey without the UFC,” Chimaev said in a new video blog posted to his YouTube channel. “I hate this. If they pay good or they don’t pay good, who cares? When she was Olympic champ, what did she make then?”
Like Rousey, Chimaev is also gearing up for a return next month, where he will make the first defense of his middleweight title against former champion Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328, set for May 9 at the Prudential Center, in Newark, New Jersey.
“Borz” was last seen in action at UFC 319 in August 2025, where he captured the 185-pound title with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Dricus Du Plessis.
