Jake Paul is venturing into mixed martial arts with a new promotion, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), which has merged with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). The rebranded entity, to be known as MVP MMA, is set to launch in 2027, signaling a significant shake-up in the combat sports landscape.
Paul, who has previously focused on boxing, has expressed his intention to compete in MMA under the new banner. PFL CEO John Martin confirmed the possibility of Paul fighting within the promotion, stating, "Yes, if he’s willing to do that. I think that would be fantastic." Martin also indicated that Paul, who has a background in high school wrestling, would fully commit to training for an MMA debut.
MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian confirmed discussions with MMA legend Royce Gracie and his family regarding jiu-jitsu training for Paul. "When Jake Paul decides to do something, he is fully committed, and he will be very professional in how he approaches it," Bidarian said.
Royce Gracie, a notable figure in early UFC history, has a family with deep ties to mixed martial arts, including UFC veteran Kron Gracie. Bidarian also indicated that former UFC contender Nate Diaz is a potential opponent for Paul's MMA debut. Diaz, a third-degree black belt under Cesar Gracie, has a significant record of 20 wins within the UFC octagon.
The merger and the future broadcast rights for MVP MMA are key points of interest, especially considering the UFC's recent $7.7 billion deal with Paramount+. PFL has historically been broadcast on ESPN since 2019, but Martin expressed frustration with the distribution, suggesting that a relationship with a streaming giant like Netflix was a consideration for the new venture.
"One of the frustrations I’ve personally had in the year since I’ve been here is I think our fighters are better than the average fan realizes. We haven’t had the distribution to really be able to fully expose them," Martin stated. He believes that consolidating under the MVP banner will help better showcase the fighters.
Recent PFL viewership numbers, particularly for PFL New York headlined by Usman Nurmagomedov and Dakota Ditcheva, averaged 297,000 viewers on ESPN, with a peak of 382,000. This event marked the most-viewed PFL telecast on ESPN or ESPN2 in the year, representing a 40 percent increase over the next best broadcast. The highest viewership for PFL occurred in August 2025 with three championship fights at PFL 10.