In a press release on Thursday, it was announced that Most Valuable Promotions will be merging with the Professional Fighters League in an attempt to change the landscape of professional combat sports.
As stated in the release, the new promotion will carry the MVP name, and PFL will become a legacy brand. Most were quick to point out that the pair of organizations coming together makes sense, as the PFL has an excellent stable of fighters and public exposure, but is lacking the celebrity and promotional aspects that MVP can bring to the table. MVP’s ability to draw a serious audience was made evident by their first and only MMA event back in May, which featured Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano in the main event, and peaked at nearly 17 million global viewers on Netflix.
Nothing regarding either organization is changing immediately, as it seems this changeover will roll out over the course of the next few months, with a deadline of the end of the year in mind. It has also been made clear that this is not just about MMA, as MVP will continue its operations surrounding men’s and women’s boxing under the same simple banner as their MMA events, ‘MVP’.
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and the Professional Fighters League (PFL) today announced a landmark merger, creating a new home of combat sports under the MVP banner. The transaction accelerates MVPâs expansion into mixed martial arts following the record-setting success of MVP MMA 1 and creates a global sports and entertainment company that brings together boxing, MMA, media, blockbuster live events, athlete development, and worldwide content distribution. MVP will continue operating with a fighter-first philosophy focused on equitable compensation, maximum visibility, and opportunities for athletes to build their brands both inside and outside of competition.
PFL CEO John Martin will serve as CEO and board member, and lead the overall business of the combined company. Martin is one of the most accomplished media, sports, and entertainment executives in the industry, having previously served as Chairman and CEO of Turner, where he oversaw a portfolio including TNT, TBS, CNN, and Turner Sports, and as Chief Financial Officer of Time Warner. Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian will be co-founders and board members and continue to play active leadership roles across the business. Bidarian will continue to drive MVPâs boxing verticals and BLEs, and work closely with Martin and the executive team. Paul, the worldâs most-followed combat sports promoter, will continue leveraging his platform, audience, and cultural influence to drive audience growth, fighter development, brand expansion, and fan engagement across all areas of the business.