Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian are rumored to be working on something that could shake up combat sports, and put them in position to go to war with Dana White and the UFC. There is rising belief that Paul and Bidarian’s MVP Promotions is moving toward a merger with the Professional Fighters League that will lead to a rebranding of the latter. Let’s talk MMA.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Who: Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)
- The rumor: MVP moving toward a merger with the Professional Fighters League, potentially rebranded as MVP MMA
- Status: Unconfirmed. Both sides have publicly expressed interest in working together; no merger has been announced
- Why it matters: A combined promotion would pair MVP’s Netflix reach and star power with the PFL’s ranked roster, creating the most credible challenger to the UFC
- Backdrop: MVP’s May 16 MMA debut, Rousey vs. Carano, set a U.S. MMA viewership record on Netflix
What’s Happening With the MVP-PFL Merger Rumors?
Speculation that MVP and the PFL could join forces has been building for weeks, and MMA insider Front Row Brian added fuel to it.
Nothing is official, which is important to note.
The through-line I keep noticing is the language from both camps, which has moved from polite compliments to open talk of doing business together. Paul and Bidarian have never hidden that they want to build a real alternative to Dana White’s promotion, and a combined roster is the fastest route there.
The timing tracks with a landscape that is suddenly crowded. Scott Coker is building a new global league, the PFL is fighting to hold its No. 2 spot, and MVP is the one newcomer with a Netflix platform and a bankable name at the top.
What Has the PFL Said About Working With MVP?
When I spoke with PFL CEO John Martin, he did not dance around the idea of a partnership. He said he would absolutely be interested if a deal made sense for the PFL, and he has opened the door to a Netflix super show with MVP.
Martin’s one condition was reciprocity. The PFL already runs a fighter-sharing agreement with Rizin, and he was clear he would not simply loan out his roster to build another promotion’s brand.
What Has MVP Said About Working With the PFL?
Bidarian has been just as receptive. When I sat down with the MVP co-founder, he pointed to boxing’s co-promotion model as the template, where rival promoters routinely stage events together and lend fighters across banners.
He singled out Salahdine Parnasse, a fighter he rates among the best in the world at 155 pounds, as the kind of talent MVP would tap through another promotion. Bidarian has publicly welcomed a co-promotion with the PFL, and privately the interest runs the same direction.
Why This Merger Makes Sense, And What’s the Key Component?
The logic is simple. A rebrand under the MVP banner brings Paul’s star power and marketing muscle, while the PFL supplies the deep, ranked roster MVP does not yet have. On paper, that is the most complete challenger the UFC has faced in years, and it stacks up with the UFC’s own tentpole cards.
The key component is Netflix. MVP’s debut averaged 12.4 million viewers globally and 9.3 million in the U.S., a mark no MMA outfit outside the UFC has come close to reaching. Whether the platform becomes an exclusive home for major events or hosts a regular run of them is still unsettled.
Having regular or semi-regular events on Netflix, even if it’s cross-discipline shows with boxing and MMA, would create a strong foothold in the combat sports space for the new and potentially improved MVP.
Bidarian has said MVP is not beholden to Netflix alone, with Amazon, Fox and ESPN all in the mix, but it will be interesting to see if this rumored merger comes to fruition and if that changes the promotion’s allegiance to a streaming platform. Stay tuned.