Jake Paul just made his boldest move in combat sports yet. His promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions, has officially merged with the Professional Fighters League. The deal creates a single combat sports company spanning both boxing and MMA.
MVP was co-founded by Paul and also longtime business partner Nakisa Bidarian back in 2021. What started as a promotion built around Paul's own boxing career has since grown into one of the fastest-rising names in the sport.
Their move into MMA came in 2026 with Netflix's record-breaking Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight. That also sets the stage for exactly this kind of expansion.
PFL brings serious credibility to the table. Founded in 2018, it's built itself into the world's number two MMA promotion behind the UFC. Especially after acquiring Bellator MMA back in 2023.
The roster includes established names like Usman Nurmagomedov, Dakota Ditcheva, AJ McKee, and Johnny Eblen. Combined, the new company inherits nearly 400 athletes across both boxing and MMA, giving it real scale from day one.
Jake Paul PFL Merger
Under the terms of the deal, the entire operation will move forward under the MVP name. PFL's brand is expected to fully transition to MVP MMA, with that migration set to wrap up by early 2027. Former PFL CEO John Martin will lead the newly combined company as CEO and board member, while Jake Paul and Bidarian remain co-founders and sit on the board.
Bidarian will continue overseeing MVP's boxing operations, which already carries broadcast deals with ESPN in the U.S. and Sky Sports in the UK. Financial backing comes from existing PFL investors 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital Management. Both of whom are committing new funding to support the expanded league.
Jake Paul made it clear this isn't just a business transaction to him. He said MVP was built to fix a broken system. Further, the goal is to give fighters fairer pay and a bigger platform to become real stars.
That fighter-first messaging is expected to define how the new company positions itself against the UFC going forward.
