Daniel Cormier, Ben Askren not impressed with MVP 'Rousey vs. Carano'

"“Incredibly one-sided is the biggest thing that comes to mind,” Askren said on a podcast with Cormier. “You know, there wasn't a singular fight that was moderately competitive on the card. And, you know, we need the highlights, we need the knockouts, we need these spectacular things, but the best thing we can get is a back-and-forth fight.”"

"“It's not boxing, right? In boxing you build athletes by crushing people that aren't on their level necessarily,” Cormier said. “So many of the fighters on that card were already established fighters. They were on the backend of their careers. So there was no star-building.”"

"Only the first three of the 10 total matchups on the MVP card went to the judges' scorecards. While Phumi Nkuta vs. Adriano Moraes was probably the most competitive matchup, the fight ended in a controversial submission loss for Nkuta, with Moraes holding on to the choke after the bell. Meanwhile, the three main fights featuring massive stars were completely lopsided."

"Francis Ngannou knocked out Philipe Lins in the first round; Mike Perry turned Nate Diaz into a bloody mess, forcing his corner to throw in the towel after the second round. Meanwhile, Ronda Rousey made Gina Carano tap with an armbar just 17 seconds into the main event."

The first MVP MMA card received mixed reactions from fans and veterans. Jon Jones praised the card, but Daniel Cormier and Ben Askren criticized it for lacking competitive matchups. Askren said the card was incredibly one-sided and that matchmakers should prioritize back-and-forth fights over highlight reels and spectacular finishes. Cormier contrasted MMA with boxing, arguing that MMA does not build stars by repeatedly crushing mismatched opponents. He also said the card offered little star-building because many fighters were already established and near the end of their careers. Only three of ten matchups reached judges’ scorecards, while major fights involving prominent stars ended quickly or decisively, including early finishes and controversial outcomes.

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