Jake Paul merges MMA promotion with PFL in blockbuster deal to challenge Dana White’s UFC

Jake Paul will merge his MMA promotion with PFL in a landmark deal to try and take on Dana White’s UFC monopoly.

Paul hosted his first cage event earlier this year with a huge clash between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano commanding a huge global audience of 17 million on Netflix.

PFL

For years, the ‘Problem Child’ has been at logger heads with UFC president White over his treatment of fighters, and vowed to take over the sport himself.

Now he has made his biggest move yet to try to challenge White’s deep-rooted roster and business.

Paul will merge his promotion with the PFL, to create what will now be one huge ‘combat sports powerhouse’.

They will bid to try and bring down the monopoly that has been set in the sport since the turn of the century.

Details show that the merger will sit under the MVP banner, and is planned to accelerate the new powerhouse’s growth into the sport.

Paul, alongside business partner Nakisa Bidarian will sit and work on the board alongside the PFL’s CEO Martin.

On the move, Paul said: “Joining forces with PFL accelerates that vision by a decade. We now have a scaled platform to give today’s fans what they want: elite talent mixed with culture, lifestyle, and massive social velocity.

“MVP was always bigger than me and bigger than any one fighter. MVP is an inevitable movement that needs to happen for the athletes, and now we have all the resources we need to build something that changes this sport forever.

“I have more conviction in MVP than ever, driven by the proliferation of AI, which will only increase the value of real, live experiences and the sports properties that can bring fans closer to the athletes they love.

“I look forward to putting my entire promotional muscle into our new company, returning to the boxing ring and making my MVP MMA debut. To all current MVP and PFL fighters, things just got bigger.

PFL

“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.”

How will the new promotion work?

It will see the new roster now hold over 400 athletes including champions, rising stars and pay-per-view superstars.

Some of the PFL’s leading stars including Dakota Ditcheva and Usman Nurmagomedov will now fight under the new joint venture.

The new promotion will aim to keep relationships with as many broadcasters as possible.

Paul’s holds relationships with Netflix, while his boxing promotion fights on ESPN and Sky Sports.

The PFL is currently shown live on talkSPORT in the UK and in the US on ESPN.

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