Jake Paul's MVP Joins Forces With Professional Fighters League

WHO:

ESPN - PFL head John Martin, who joined the company in 2025, will continue to operate as CEO and board member.

ESPN - MVP is co-founded by Nakisa Bidarian.

TMZ - Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) is merging with the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

Sportskeeda - MMA fans are reacting to the merger of MVP and PFL.

WHAT:

ESPN - MVP's MMA debut in May drew 12.4 million viewers to Netflix, with viewership peaking at 17 million during Ronda Rousey's 17-second armbar victory over Gina Carano in Los Angeles.

ESPN - The PFL has established itself as home to the best MMA talent in the world outside the UFC, particularly after its acquisition of Bellator MMA in 2023.

ESPN - MVP's umbrella already included its women's boxing division, MVPW, which airs on ESPN.

ESPN - The PFL currently airs on ESPN in the U.S. through 2026.

ESPN - The merger combines MVP's marketing prowess with a PFL roster that includes Dakota Ditcheva, Usman Nurmagomedov, AJ McKee, and Johnny Eblen.

ESPN - MVP's MMA debut in May drew 12.4 million viewers to Netflix, with viewership peaking at 17 million during Ronda Rousey's 17-second armbar victory over Gina Carano in Los Angeles.

ESPN - The merger will shift the PFL and its operations under the MVP umbrella, forming one combat sports company to include boxing and MMA.

ESPN - MVP's MMA debut in May drew 12.4 million viewers to Netflix, with viewership peaking at 17 million during Ronda Rousey's 17-second armbar victory over Gina Carano in Los Angeles.

TMZ - The merger aims to "flip combat sports on its head."

Sportskeeda - The announcement of the merger has generated significant excitement among MMA fans.

WHERE:

TMZ - The announcement was made by MVP, indicating a collaboration in the realm of combat sports.

WHEN:

TMZ - The merger announcement was made on a Thursday morning.

WHY:

ESPN - John Martin stated, "This merger brings scale in operations, in distribution and media rights, in sponsorship, in fighter development and in fan engagement."

ESPN - Nakisa Bidarian said, "In less than five years, MVP has become one of the most influential and culturally relevant brands in the industry, producing some of the biggest events in combat sports history, elevating women's boxing to unprecedented heights, and bringing millions of new fans into the fight game."

ESPN - John Martin stated, "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 while creating a world-class global business with premier media distribution across 34 broadcast and streaming partners, reaching fans in more than 170 countries."

ESPN - "We started MVP to disrupt a broken model," Paul said in a news release. "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."

TMZ - The motivation behind the merger is to innovate and transform the landscape of combat sports.

HOW:

ESPN - As part of the merger, MVP announced a new capital raise by existing PFL shareholders 885 Capital and affiliated entities of Knighthead Capital Management.

TMZ - The merger involves a collaboration between MVP and PFL to enhance the combat sports experience.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 07:53 UTC)

MVP's MMA debut in May attracted an impressive 12.4 million viewers on Netflix, peaking at 17 million during Ronda Rousey's swift 17-second armbar victory over Gina Carano in Los Angeles. The PFL has solidified its reputation as the premier home for top MMA talent outside the UFC, especially following its acquisition of Bellator MMA in 2023, and it currently airs on ESPN in the U.S. through 2026. John Martin emphasized that this merger enhances operations and fan engagement, while Nakisa Bidarian noted that in just under five years, MVP has emerged as a major force in combat sports, significantly boosting women's boxing and attracting millions of new fans.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 01:32 UTC)

In a significant development for mixed martial arts, PFL CEO John Martin will continue to lead the organization following its merger with MVP, co-founded by Nakisa Bidarian. This merger combines MVP's marketing expertise with PFL's impressive roster, which features top fighters like Dakota Ditcheva and Usman Nurmagomedov, and follows MVP's successful MMA debut that attracted 12.4 million viewers on Netflix. As part of this merger, MVP has also announced a new capital raise involving existing PFL shareholders, including 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital Management.

(UPDATED July 30, 2026 22:24 UTC)

A significant merger has been announced, bringing the Professional Fighters League, or PFL, under the MVP umbrella to create a unified combat sports company that will encompass both boxing and MMA. MVP's MMA debut earlier this year attracted an impressive 12.4 million viewers on Netflix, with a peak of 17 million during Ronda Rousey's swift victory over Gina Carano. In a news release, Paul emphasized that this merger will help fulfill their mission to provide fighters with fair pay and a modern platform, accelerating their vision by a decade, and it will be supported by a new capital raise from existing PFL shareholders.

(UPDATED July 30, 2026 15:39 UTC)

Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions is merging with the Professional Fighters League in a move that aims to "flip combat sports on its head." This announcement has sparked significant excitement among MMA fans, who are eager to see how this collaboration will innovate and transform the landscape of combat sports. The merger was officially revealed on a Thursday morning, marking a new chapter for both organizations in enhancing the combat sports experience.