Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and the Professional Fighters League are now moving as one company, with the combined combat-sports platform operating under the MVP banner.
The merger brings MVP’s boxing business, MVPW, PFL’s MMA roster, league operations, media assets, live-event infrastructure, athlete development, and international distribution into one group. John Martin will serve as CEO and board member, while Paul and Nakisa Bidarian will remain co-founders and board members.
The announcement moved through official PFL channels, including the merger post and a separate CEO statement from Martin.
Paul, Bidarian And Martin Explain The Move
Paul framed the deal around the fighter-pay argument that has followed MVP since its launch.
“We started MVP to disrupt a broken model. 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.”
Paul also pointed the new company toward his own combat-sports schedule, saying he plans to return to boxing and make his MVP MMA debut under the combined structure. He closed that part of the statement with a direct pitch to fighters outside the company.
“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.”
Bidarian described the merger as the next step after MVP’s first MMA event.
“The success of MVP MMA’s first event confirmed our belief that there is enormous demand for a modern, fighter-first approach to MMA. This merger accelerates our MMA ambitions while strengthening our ability to continue investing in boxing and MVPW.”
Martin’s statement focused on scale, distribution, sponsorship, fighter development, and fan engagement.
“We’re not just combining companies, we’re bringing an entire combat sports community together and creating a more powerful platform to accelerate growth. One company, one global stage, millions of fans and we’re only just getting started.”
What PFL Brings To MVP MMA
PFL brings more than 300 fighters from over 40 countries, more than 100 premium live events across 14 countries, and a 2026 schedule built around 24 events in 11 countries. The combined company said it will feature nearly 400 elite athletes across boxing and MMA.
MVP will become the master brand for the new company’s combat-sports properties. MVP and MVPW will remain the boxing anchors, while PFL’s roster and global league operation will form the foundation of MVP MMA. The migration is expected to be completed in the coming months.
The structure also puts the new company in the middle of a wider fight-business shift, from MVP’s boxing and crossover moves to PFL title-fight talk and other promotion ownership changes.
Investor Statements And Official Video Context
Founding investors 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital Management are backing the combined company. PFL said existing shareholders tied to those groups are becoming founding investors in the new entity and committing new capital.
Sudeep Ramnani’s statement for 885 Capital centered on global reach.
“Partnering with Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and John Martin to bring PFL’s international infrastructure and roster together with MVP’s audience engine builds a business with the scale, talent, and distribution to lead the category.”
Knighthead Capital’s Ara Cohen pointed to the fit between MVP’s audience-building and PFL’s MMA operations.
“This transaction brings together highly complementary assets to create a scaled global combat sports platform with significant long-term growth potential.”
PFL’s older official signing video is still useful context because it shows where Paul’s public relationship with the league began before this full merger. PFL announced Paul as part of its MMA plans in January 2023, and that relationship has now been folded into the new MVP MMA structure.
The first test comes quickly. The combined company said it will run five premium live events across boxing and MMA in August, turning the announcement into an immediate calendar instead of a long wait for the new structure to matter.
