Ronda Rousey: UFC Executive Tried To 'Sabotage' Return, Disparaged Gina Carano

Ronda Rousey has said Hunter Campbell, UFC's Chief Business Officer, tried to sabotage her return to MMA while pitching her fight with Gina Carano. 

Rousey will be fighting Carano in her first MMA bout in 10 years, having last lost within a minute of the first round to Amanda Nunes, headlining MVP's card streaming on Neftlix on May 16. It will also be Carano's first fight since 2009, where she similarly lost to Cris Cyborg in the first round. 

Rousey has already confirmed the bout was originally pitched to the UFC due to her loyalty to Dana White. But that never transpired and the fighters banded with Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian's Most Valuable Promotions. 

Speaking on her comeback during CBS Mornings, Rousey said that there were a "cascade" of different factors leading to it. 

"I think largely, I wanted to re-write my own ending in MMA. It was just unfinished, I never formally retired, Dana said I had retired, and I hadn't fought in 10 years. But I needed everyone to give up on me coming back before I knew I was coming back for just me," she said. 

"I first reached out to the UFC to get it done because I have so much love for them, and Dana for what he did for me. But he's not really in charge anymore," she continued. "Now this guy, Hunter Campbell, is running things and he was really trying to sabotage the deal and get me to fight other people, misrepresenting Gina. Saying she wasn't serious and wasn't going to make the weight."