Jake Paul And Nakisa Bidarian May Be Preparing To Take On Dana White And The UFC With Massive Move

Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian are reportedly preparing a blockbuster move that could upend the entire mixed martial arts landscape: a merger between MVP Promotions and the Professional Fighters League (PFL) to form a new entity tentatively called MVP MMA. The rumored deal, first reported by Forbes, would directly challenge Dana White's UFC and promises to reshape fighter compensation, broadcasting rights, and the sport's power structure.

Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian—co-founders of MVP Promotions—are in advanced talks to merge their boxing promotional company with the PFL, according to sources close to the negotiation. The combined organization, MVP MMA, would launch as a direct competitor to the UFC, leveraging Paul's massive social media following, Bidarian's business acumen, and the PFL's existing infrastructure. The stakes are high: Netflix, hungry for live sports content, has reportedly expressed interest in broadcasting MVP MMA events, a move that could disrupt traditional pay-per-view models.

Jake Paul has long been one of the most vocal critics of UFC fighter pay and Dana White's management style. Since turning professional in 2020, the YouTuber-turned-boxer has built a reputation for staging high-profile crossover fights and demanding better conditions for athletes. Nakisa Bidarian, a former UFC executive and one of the most respected dealmakers in combat sports, joined Paul in 2021 to launch MVP Promotions. Together, they have orchestrated events featuring Paul himself, as well as other rising stars, generating millions in revenue and drawing attention from major streaming platforms.

The Professional Fighters League, founded in 2018, operates a season-based format where fighters accumulate points and compete in playoffs—a model distinct from the UFC's traditional matchmaking. The PFL has secured broadcasting deals with ESPN, but has struggled to capture the mainstream audience that the UFC commands. A merger with MVP Promotions would bring Jake Paul's massive fanbase—over 20 million Instagram followers and a YouTube channel with 20 million subscribers—to the MMA world, potentially driving unprecedented viewership.

Key figures in the rumored deal include Jake Paul, whose net worth is estimated at $80 million; Nakisa Bidarian, who negotiated the PFL's ESPN deal during his tenure at the organization; and PFL CEO Peter Murray. Dana White has dismissed Jake Paul as a "clown" in the past, but the UFC president's silence on these latest rumors suggests he is taking the threat seriously. Industry insiders note that the UFC holds roughly 95% of the MMA market, but a well-funded, fighter-centric alternative could erode that dominance—especially if it secures a Netflix streaming partnership.

From a broader perspective, the Jake Paul-PFL merger represents the most serious challenge to UFC's monopoly since the founding of Strikeforce in 2006. Paul's track record of disrupting traditional sports (his boxing match with Mike Tyson broke streaming records) and Bidarian's operational expertise could give MVP MMA the credibility it needs to attract top talent. Analysts believe that if the merger goes through, it could trigger a bidding war for fighters, driving up salaries and forcing the UFC to improve its own pay structure. The involvement of Netflix as a potential broadcaster would also shift the power dynamics away from ESPN and Pay-Per-View, making fights more accessible to a younger, streaming-native audience.

What happens next depends on the finalization of the merger agreement, which could be announced within weeks. If the deal closes, MVP MMA would likely announce its first fight card in early 2027, possibly headlined by Jake Paul himself. The move would also reignite the long-simmering feud between Paul and Dana White, setting the stage for a high-stakes war between the two promotional giants. For fighters and fans alike, the prospect of real competition in MMA has never been closer.