Jake Paul spoke openly about the current state of mixed martial arts during a press event in Los Angeles promoting the first MMA card from his Most Valuable Promotions. The event will feature Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano and will stream on Netflix from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Paul believes that the UFC, long the dominant MMA promotion, is struggling to maintain its previous level of excitement. He suggested that MVP could step in to create opportunities for fighters and fans.
“MMA is in a weird position right now,” Paul said. “It’s the wild west and I believe we have a massive opportunity here to disrupt the whole space and to put fighters first, get them the pay that they deserve, the platform that they deserve, because I believe the UFC is dying and MVP is here to take over.”
Fighter pay and opportunities
Paul criticized the UFC for not investing enough in creating stars or booking the fights fans want to see. He said this has left some of the sport’s biggest names, like Jon Jones and Conor McGregor, inactive for long periods.
“I think it’s been tough for them to create stars and the fights that they want for how little they’re willing to spend,” Paul said. “So they’re kind of at a bottleneck and that’s why I think we’ve seen fights that people aren’t super, super excited about. And now they’re just not willing to spend money.”
He added that this has affected the overall excitement of major events and that his promotion aims to offer a different approach focused on fighters and fans.
Thoughts on the UFC White House card
Paul also shared his opinion about UFC Freedom 250, which will take place at the White House. The card includes Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira, but Paul suggested the event is more about the location than the fights.
“I think the White House itself will be the star,” Paul said. “I was disappointed by the card. I think many fans were, just because there was such high expectations. I think if they weren’t hyping it for so long, maybe if they just announced it randomly, then people would be happy. But they just made it seem like it was gonna be the greatest card of all time. And it certainly isn’t.”
Jake Paul explains why his MVP promotion company decided to go into MMA on #Netflix#RouseyCarano pic.twitter.com/GYaLrcbSk2
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 10, 2026
Will Jake Paul compete in MMA?
Even though Paul has primarily focused on boxing, he confirmed that he plans to compete in MMA in the future.
“100% I’ll do MMA at some point,” Paul said. “For my first fight, it’ll probably have to be against someone my own weight.”
He also left the door open for a potential matchup against Francis Ngannou, noting the appeal of a high-profile fight.
“But I think I’ve made it clear in the sport of boxing that I’m down to fight anyone. I took on Anthony Joshua, Mike Tyson, [Julio Cesar] Chavez, just all these people, Anderson [Silva]. So I’m really down to run it with whoever in the sport of boxing. I think me versus Francis would be massive.”
The Rousey vs Carano fight marks Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA event. Paul emphasized that MVP will focus on fighter pay and delivering the fights fans want to see, positioning the promotion as a challenger to the UFC’s dominance in the sport.
By centering on fighter opportunities and high-profile matchups, MVP hopes to create a new path for MMA while taking advantage of what Paul describes as a “UFC is dying” moment in the sport.
