LOS ANGELES – Ronda Rousey is in the middle of training for her Netflix-streamed comeback fight May 16 versus Gina Carano, and one of her children wasn’t feeling well Monday morning, either.
Yet Rousey made the trek through the teeth of Southland traffic to speak in support of California Assembly Bill 2130, which proposes approval of sponsorship contracts and proceeds from the creation of a new designer license plate to further support the state’s Boxer’s Pension Fund and Mixed Martial Arts Retirement Benefit Fund.
““I’ve been so fortunate. It seems wrong to just take and take … I’m in the fortunate position to speak up and bring attention to these things and make sure people don’t forget about the fighters while they’re fighting,” Rousey told BoxingScene at the event attended by the bill’s author, Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), California State Athletic Commission Executive Officer Andy Foster and longtime UFC referee Herb Dean.
Rousey’s mother, AnnMaria De Mars, a CSAC commissioner, also attended.
“I feel like that’s one of the reasons I’ve had so much success, and fortunate enough to be raised by someone who taught me to not have a ‘Fuck you, I’ve got mine’ attitude,” Rousey said. “I feel like if everyone had less of that and gave back, the world would be a little bit of a better place. So I’m trying to do what I was raised to do.”
Following bipartisan support for the related pension and retirement funds, the bill is set to be introduced to the Assembly’s Business and Professions Committee and Arts and Sports Entertainment Committee next week, and could reach Governor Gavin Newsom for signing by September to take effect on January 1, 2027.
It’s logical that the state will reach out to fight-enthusiast business people, making Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg a likely early contact for the athletic commission, which will allow for company advertising on the back of referee shirts.
Haney reminded of the impact of such promotion, knowing that Rousey-Carano, which will be staged at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, will have “millions and millions of eyes on it” thanks to Netflix.
Should the CSAC be able to generate $1 million in advertising and license-plate sales each year for 20 years, the coffer would rise through interest to an estimated $25.4 million, distributing anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000 to boxers and MMA fighters who reach the age of 50.
Rousey, the UFC’s former bantamweight champion who parlayed her fame to a WWE career, spoke to the importance of the support.
“You have a very short shelf [life] in this sport. It’s very hard, very intense on your body, and the amount of strain you [endure] is more or the same as the amount you’d put on yourself in a 40- to 50-year career behind a desk,” she said.
“It’s condensed into a shorter amount of time and the marks and effects on your body mean you might not be able to go into a different career. You won’t be able to go into the military or certain trades if you’re carrying the effects of a career like this.
“It should be considered a smart career path, and not a gamble to try and be a fighter – and there should be a viable path forward for people who want to try it for a living.
“Not everyone is going to make it, not everyone is going to be a champion, and not every champion is going to get paid the way I do. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be able to make a living or afford retirement or their medical expenses.”
Foster, who oversaw the distribution of an average of $21,000 per fighter in boxer pensions, said every state that presents combat should look to emulate this model.
“This bill will do more to help retired fighters than any bill that has been put forward for fighters anywhere in the world,” said Foster, who has also advocated for Zuffa Boxing’s push for a revised Ali Act in boxing.
In regard to possible resistance to the bill, someone mentioned Zuffa Boxing and its MMA sibling company, UFC, but an official familiar with the situation said not to expect objection from the UFC or Zuffa, which clothe their fighters thanks to lucrative apparel deals.
“The Governor, Senate and Assembly have a deep respect for fighters. Everyone has been so supportive, This is going to help our fighters immensely,” Foster said.
Haney detailed that 75% of the funds will be set aside for fighters, with the remainder being earmarked for fight officials (referees) and support staff.
“If you care about fighters in this state, you should care about the people who make it possible, who put their blood, sweat, tears and resources – with family and friends making all sacrifices,” Haney said. “We should care about the people who do that, and that’s what we’re asking the state of California to do – with no taxpayer dollars. The prospects are good.”
Fighters will gain eligibility to receive funds from California if they have fought 75 boxing rounds or 39 MMA rounds in California, which is the nation’s busiest combat sports state.
If an active fighter has already compiled rounds in the state and then surpasses the round limit upon the approval of this law, they will be eligible for the support at age 50, Foster said.
“I just wish we had thought of this sooner,” Foster said.
Following so many tales of veteran fighters falling on hard times financially and struggling with health issues in their later years, Rousey said, “A sad ending shouldn’t be the cliche.
“A lot of times you don’t know if you’ve taken one hit too many until decades later, and you won’t feel the effects of your injuries until the time you’re not making that money anymore, and you haven’t planned for it.”
Dean, who formerly trained with a UFC 1 fighter, said pointedly, “I thought the compensation would catch up and be here by now to support the fighters, but it hasn’t.
“[Fighters] have given us so many great moments to inspire us, and it should not look [sad] at the end of the day.”
Rousey’s familiarity with the financial vulnerability of fighters dates to the “six-figures” support provided by her mother caravaning her to judo practices and tournaments throughout Southern California as a youth, only to win an Olympic bronze medal in 2008, receive $10,000 that she was taxed 50% on, and use the remainder to invest in a used 2005 Honda Accord that she wound up sleeping in on some nights.
“I have experienced it firsthand. We didn’t do it for monetary reasons, but that’s a shame,” Rousey said. “It actually blocks a lot of people out. … When we expand opportunities, more people are free to access the sport.”
Rousey, 39, ultimately became the first women’s fighter signed by UFC, winning the first women’s title fight in 2012 and reigning through five title defenses while reaching the organization’s height of popularity – and its Hall of Fame – thanks to both her famed armbar and refreshing candor.
“Combat sports is the best thing to ever happen to my life – my personal development, my professional life. I’ve been able to affect the world in the best way I can because of it and I want everybody who wants it to pursue their dream without it being a detriment to their professional prospects,” Rousey said Monday.
“There’s also a village that goes into every fighter – training partners, coaches. We need them. Those people need to be supported. Not everybody’s going to be a champion, but everybody contributes to the outcomes and should be compensated fairly.”
Rousey made eye contact with Haney, Foster and her mother while saying, “It’s really encouraging to see there are people who really care, and we have people within the Assembly who really see us.
“It’s easy for us to feel ignored when we’re not under the lights. This is the kind of work that’s not as glamorous and I really appreciate all the people here for taking the time and caring about the fighters who aren’t fighting anymore.
“This is the way we allow this sport to grow and thrive, and contribute to California even more in the future.”
