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Full Breakdown

Jake Paul’s MVP Promotions Merges with the Professional Fighters League

7/30/2026, 9:04:12 PM

Merger Details and Business Structure

MVP Promotions announced on a Thursday that it is merging with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), bringing the PFL’s MMA operations under the MVP umbrella. The combined entity will market both boxing and mixed-martial-arts events, leveraging MVP’s “marketing prowess” and the PFL’s established fighter roster, which includes Dakota Ditcheva, Usman Nurmagomedov, AJ McKee and Johnny Eblen. MVP’s existing shareholders, 885 Capital and affiliates of Knighthead Capital Management, will provide new capital as part of the deal.

Key Figures

  • Jake Paul – Founder and primary promoter of MVP Promotions.
  • Nakisa Bidarian – Co-founder of MVP Promotions, overseeing strategic growth.
  • John Martin – Head of the PFL, joining the merged company as CEO and board member.

Market Reach and Early Performance

Since its launch in 2018, the PFL has built a global presence across 34 broadcast and streaming partners, reaching fans in more than 170 countries. MVP’s first MMA event on Netflix attracted 12.4 million viewers, with a peak of 17 million during Ronda Rousey’s 17-second armbar victory over Gina Carano in Los Angeles. The PFL’s U.S. broadcast agreement with ESPN runs through 2026, while MVP’s women’s boxing division (MVPW) already airs on ESPN.

Verbatim Quotes

  • “We started MVP to disrupt a broken model,” — Extended Reactions Jake Paul
  • “Since launching MVP, our goal has always been bigger than just building a boxing promotion,” — Nakisa Bidarian, paul and co-founder