Jake Paul, along with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) co-founder Nakisa Bidarian, is now in charge of Professional Fighters League (PFL) following a "landmark merger" between the two organizations. The new company will operate under the MVP brand with PFL's John Martin transitioning to Board Member and CEO.
MVP will continue its boxing business under the same banner but operate independent of MVP MMA. 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital, who already invested heavily in PFL, will help fund the new combat sports venture. The brand migration is expected to be completed by Jan. 2027.
Paul's Vision
"We started MVP to disrupt a broken model," Paul said. "We wanted to give fighters fair pay and a bigger, modernized stage to become global superstars. Joining forces with PFL accelerates that vision by a decade. I have more conviction in MVP than ever, driven by the proliferation of AI, which will only increase the value of real, live experiences and the sports properties that can bring fans closer to the athletes they love.
"I look forward to putting my entire promotional muscle into our new company, returning to the boxing ring and making my MVP MMA debut. To all current MVP and PFL fighters, things just got bigger. To fighters fighting in other organizations, we are open for business when you are contractually free. The time for change is now. Welcome to MVP."
The Challenge Ahead
MVP launched its first MMA card back in May, topped by the featherweight fight between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. The event pulled record-breaking numbers for Netflix, a considerable feat for any organization in competition with the UFC.
That said, MVP will still face the same problem PFL had: finding elite talent not already under contract with the UFC.
Martin on the Merger
"Over the past seven years, PFL has built the world's No. 2 global MMA company, assembling one of the sport's most elite fighter rosters," Martin said. "This merger brings scale in operations, distribution and media rights, sponsorship, fighter development and fan engagement. We're not just combining companies, we're bringing an entire combat sports community together."
Additional leadership, organizational, and operational details will be announced at a later date.
