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Ronda Rousey and Jake Paul have taunted the UFC and Dana White for failing to break Most Valuable Promotions’ MMA record audience figure with the White House event last week.

US broadcaster Paramount said UFC 250 Freedom on Sunday reached 7m people in the US on Paramount+.

Netflix said Rousey’s 15-second demolition of Gina Carano in May had a US average audience of 9.3m and a US “peak audience” of 11.6m.

Paul, who co-founded MVP with Nakisa Bidarian, wrote on X: “As a boxing promoter it feels good waking up today being the biggest MMA promoter.”

Paul has a history of taunting UFC president White, and the MVP-promoted Rousey v Carano event was positioned as a “takeover” of MMA by boxer Paul.

Rousey, who chose to fight on an MVP card rather than the UFC because of fight purse demands, reacted to news of the viewing figures by targeting UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell.

“Lmao [laughing my ass off]! Kiss my ass, Hunter Campbell,” Rousey said.

UFC White House, which had two title fights and was held on the south lawn of US President Donald Trump’s home, averaged 8.2m viewers across the US and Latin America.

Paramount said 17m people watched at least one minute of the event in those countries, including 15.3m in the US.

It said the live audience figures were verified by Nielsen, the industry standard in reporting TV viewership metrics, and Adobe Analytics.

Streaming giants Netflix did not release any figures other than for the US and did not say whether the numbers were verified by Nielsen or any other party.

Paramount suggested the UFC would release further global figures for the White House event.

American Justin Gaethje gave the Trump-fronted event a fairytale ending on the president’s 80th birthday by upsetting the odds to beat Ilia Topuria in the main event.

Gaethje, a Trump supporter, claimed the UFC lightweight title for the first time at the age of 37.

For UFC boss Dana White, heavyweight Josh Hokit’s post-fight behavior at UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday crossed a line.

On Monday, the mixed martial arts promotion’s president and chief executive told Time reporter Sean Gregory via text he is “completely against saying nasty and false things about people’s families” in reference to Hokit’s tasteless comment about Michelle Obama. During the White House spectacle in front of President Trump and others, Hokit was interviewed after his technical-knockout victory over Derrick Lewis and propped up a false conspiracy about the former first lady, declaring “Michelle Obama is a man.”

Hokit, who has a history of making tasteless comments after his fights, including the same Obama jab, drew mixed reaction from the UFC Freedom 250 crowd — and also from social media users, with some repeating the false claim in the comments on Hokit’s Instagram page and others chiding it. White, who has panned Hokit’s remarks in the past, did so again.

“Everyone knows my position on free speech but I hate that kind of nonsense,” White’s text added.

Hokit insulted Obama months after Trump faced backlash in February for a racist social media video that depicted President Obama and the former first lady as apes. Amid mounting public criticism, the White House took down the video and blamed an unnamed aide.

Michelle Obama, clearly on Hokit’s mind on Sunday, was busy with other matters over the weekend: preparing with her husband to open their Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. The museum and library hosts its grand opening Thursday and will be open to the public Friday.

Times staff writer Ana Ceballos contributed to this report.

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has called on UFC president Dana White to release Tom Aspinall from his contract and says the heavyweight champion is not being paid his worth.

Manchester-based Aspinall, 33, signed a “commercial and advisory” deal with Hearn’s new talent agency in March.

Aspinall has been the standout performer in the UFC’s heavyweight division in recent years, with seven of his eight wins ending in the first round.

Hearn is prepared to offer Aspinall higher earnings if the UFC allowed him to leave, as tensions continue to grow between himself and White, though it is unclear whether that would be in boxing or MMA.

Matchroom chairman Hearn is also willing to drop planned legal action over Conor Benn’s decision to leave his stable for White’s Zuffa Boxing promotional company if they release Aspinall.

Hearn, 46, previously described 29-year-old Benn’s departure as a “dagger in the heart”.

“I’ll walk away from all their problems they’ve got on the Conor Benn legal situation if they release Tom Aspinall,” Hearn said.

“And I will, in writing, it will be five or six times more money he’ll be making, but I will put in writing that Tom Aspinall will make a minimum of three times more than he will under his current contract.”

Aspinall remains under contract with the UFC and is one of its biggest stars.

Hearn has previously criticised the UFC’s pay structure and suggested leading fighters could earn considerably more elsewhere.

There is no indication the UFC would consider releasing Aspinall, but Hearn’s remarks have increased debate around fighter pay in mixed martial arts (MMA).

“I would like to propose that Dana White should be happy for Tom Aspinall, who is extremely unhappy, and he should release him of his obligations with the UFC,” Hearn added.

“And he should allow him to go out and make considerably more for himself and his family because that’s what Dana White’s all about, isn’t it? He’d be happy for Tom. So that’s what I would like.”

Aspinall has been dealing with eye problems since his title fight with Ciryl Gane last October had to be stopped because of repeated eye pokes.

He had double eye surgery in February and it is not yet certain when he will be able to return to action.

Hearn has been publicly feuding with UFC president White since the launch of Zuffa Boxing.

Aspinall became part of that war of words when Hearn suggested White “humiliated” him by not backing the fighter after the eye controversy.