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MVP, PFL officially merge to create new global combat sports platform

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8 hours ago

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MVP, PFL officially merge to create new global combat sports platform

The highly-rumored Most Valuable Promotions and Professional Fighters League merger is officially a done deal.

MVP and PFL announced on Thursday morning that the companies have merged together under the MVP banner. According to a press release, creates a global sports and entertainment company that brings together boxing, MMA, media, blockbuster live events, athlete development, and worldwide content distribution.

Front Row Brian first revealed the merger was being discussed on Twitter earlier this month.

The newly merged MVP will be led by co-founders and board members Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, while John Martin will serve as CEO and board member.

“Since launching MVP, our goal has always been bigger than just building a boxing promotion,†Bidarian said. “It has been to build the future of combat sports. In less than five years, MVP has become one of the most influential and culturally relevant brands in the industry, producing some of the biggest events in combat sports history, elevating women's boxing to unprecedented heights, and bringing millions of new fans into the fight game.

“The success of MVP MMA's first event confirmed our belief that there is enormous demand for a modern, fighter-first approach to MMA. This merger accelerates our MMA ambitions while strengthening our ability to continue investing in boxing and MVPW. By combining MVP's audience-building engine, storytelling capabilities, and brand with PFL's roster, infrastructure, and international footprint, we are creating a new global home for combat sports. Under the leadership of John Martin, a world-class media executive with deep MMA knowledge, and investment from leading financiers 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital, MVP is going to achieve great things for fighters, fans, and partners.â€

“We started MVP to disrupt a broken model,†Paul said. “We wanted to give fighters fair pay and a bigger, modernized stage to become global superstars. 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. 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.â€

“Over the past seven years, PFL has built the world's No. 2 global MMA company, assembling one of the sport's most elite fighter rosters while creating a world-class global business with premier media distribution across 34 broadcast and streaming partners, reaching fans in more than 170 countries,†Martin said. “At the same time, MVP has redefined how combat sports connects with a new generation of fans, creating events that become cultural moments and proving that athletes, sports, entertainment and creators can all thrive together.

“This merger brings scale – in operations, in distribution and media rights, in sponsorship, in fighter development and in fan engagement. We're not just combining companies, we're bringing an entire combat sports community together and creating a more powerful platform to accelerate growth. One company, one global stage, millions of fans and we're only just getting started.â€

Per a promotional official, Friday's MMA event headlined by Usman Nurmagomedov and Archie Colgan will still be held as a PFL event. MVP serves as the “master brand.â€

According to the release, MVP and MVPW will continue as “boxing cornerstones of the company.†PFL's roster, league operations on a global scale, media assets, and more will form the foundation of MVP MMA. The merger will be fully completed later this year.

The new combat sports company is set to have five events across boxing and MMA in August.

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MMA

Colby Covington vs. Belal Muhammad back on for RAF Crossover title fight

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9 minutes ago

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July 30, 2026

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Colby Covington vs. Belal Muhammad back on for RAF Crossover title fight
Two
Ultimate Fighting Championship-inspired crossover title bouts
are officially headed to Real American Freestyle.

Rivalries involving Colby
Covington, Belal
Muhammad, Merab
Dvalishvili and Henry
Cejudo are set to headline the promotion’s next two events. RAF
recently announced that Dvalishvili will meet Cejudo in the main
event of RAF 12 on Aug. 22 in Cleveland, while Covington will
defend his cruiserweight crossover championship against Muhammad at
RAF 13 on Sept. 19 in Miami.

Colby Covington and Belal Muhammad bring UFC rivalry to Real
American Freestyle RAF 13

Both Dvalishvili vs. Cejudo and Muhammad vs. Covington will be
contested for crossover championships, a division created to allow
active and former UFC fighters to compete on the wrestling
mats.

Covington became the inaugural cruiserweight crossover champion
with a victory over UFC lightweight Arman
Tsarukyan at RAF 11 in July. Muhammad confronted Covington
during the post-event press conference, igniting a brawl that
immediately fueled talk of a showdown between the longtime rivals.
While the matchup was initially targeted for RAF 12, promotion
officials have now pushed it back to the September event.

Dvalishvili and Cejudo will instead headline RAF 12. Their rematch
will crown the inaugural lightweight crossover champion. RAF 12
will also feature a stacked undercard, including Jordan Burroughs
vs. Sean
Brady, Bo Nickal vs.
Max McEnelly and Tyron
Woodley vs. Joaquin
Buckley.

A catchweight matchup between social media personalities Larry
Wheels and Mike Holston, better known as “The Real Tarzann,” has
also been added to the RAF 13 lineup.

Championship bouts include Evan Wick vs. Jason Nolf for the RAF
middleweight title, David Carr vs. Tajmuraz Salkazanov for the
welterweight crown and Kennedy Blades vs. Diana
Avsaragova for the women’s middleweight belt. Elsewhere,
Gable
Steveson faces Anthony Cassioppi, while Vladimer
Khinchegashvili, Jesse Mendez, Johnni DiJulius, Asu
Almabayev, Masanosuke Ono, Ben Davino and Will Lewan are also
scheduled to compete.


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MMA

Jan Blachowicz’s comeback faces a dangerous new threat at UFC Belgrade

Published

2 hours ago

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July 30, 2026

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Jan Blachowicz’s comeback faces a dangerous new threat at UFC Belgrade
Jan
Blachowicz’s journey back to title contention has taken another
unexpected turn.

The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder
was originally slated to rematch Bogdan
Guskov at
UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1 in Serbia. However, those plans changed
when Guskov was offered the
UFC Abu Dhabi main event spot against Magomed
Ankalaev following Khalil
Rountree’s withdrawal.

As such, Blachowicz (29-11-2) will now square off against Navajo
Stirling in the new co-main event in Belgrade and the Polish
veteran is unfazed by the change.

Jan Blachowicz prepares for UFC Belgrade fight against Navajo
Stirling

After Guskov accepted the short-notice bout against Ankalaev,
Blachowicz was paired with Stirling. The former champion insists
little has changed in his preparation.

“I am doing this all my life,†Blachowicz said in a recent
interview. “It's a new opponent. I have a lot of respect for him,
but it’s just another fighter who I have to stop. I don't think
about this mess around because I don't want to waste energy for
that. Okay, it's a new opponent; that's it. We do small changes and
we are here to win the fight against him, or a different opponent
doesn't matter.â€

The upcoming matchup gives Blachowicz an opportunity to halt the
longest winless stretch of his UFC tenure. He has gone four
straight outings without a victory and is coming off a majority
draw against Guskov this past December. His last win came all the
way back in May 2022 when he defeated Aleksandar
Rakic.

He'll have his work cut out for him against the surging Stirling,
who boasts a perfect 10-0 record.

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MMA

Jon Jones breaks down matchups against fellow UFC double champs

Published

4 hours ago

on

July 30, 2026

By

Jon Jones breaks down matchups against fellow UFC double champs
Jon
Jones remains highly confident in his ability.

In a recent interview, the former
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight and light
heavyweight titleholder weighed in on how he believes a fight
against fellow former two-division king Alex
Pereira and a wrestling match against longtime rival Daniel
Cormier would unfold, backing himself in both scenarios.

Jon Jones explains why he sees grappling as the deciding factor
in a hypothetical fight with Alex Pereira

Jones and Pereira were seemingly on a collision course when the
latter announced his move up to heavyweight for
UFC Freedom 250. However, with Jones' ongoing stalemate with
the UFC regarding his future, a fight against “Poatan†has fallen
through.

Nevertheless, Jones cites size as a key factor at heavyweight,
claiming his former opponents Stipe
Miocic and Ciryl Gane
are bigger than Pereira, who previously competed at 185 pounds.

“I watched Pereira train,†Jones said in an interview with AFL
Global. “I see his level of wrestling and it’s way behind. I feel
as if Stipe Miocic is a true heavyweight. He’s a big, big boy.
Ciryl Gane, when you see him in person, he’s a big, big boy. Alex
Pereira is not a big, big boy. He’s a lean guy. I think right now
he weighs maybe 250.â€

Jones believes his size and grappling would have overwhelmed
Pereira, predicting a submission win had they collided inside the
Octagon.

“I feel as if my physical strength would have been too much for
him,†Jones said. “I felt as if the moment I would have gotten him
to the ground, my submissions would have come pretty quickly. I
mean, everyone knows that. I think that’s the clearest path to
victory for me against Alex Pereira. But we’re not fighting. I am a
fan of him. I support him, and I want to see him do well.â€

“Bones†also discussed his approach towards a potential wrestling
match with Cormier, who he's already shared the cage with
twice.

“I think I would have beat D.C. in a wrestling match,†Jones said.
“It wouldn’t be easy, but I think I would beat him in wrestling. I
hear that he has problems with his back, so my strategy would be to
just try to wear on him. Not shoot, not go for the takedown, but
just hand fight, hand fight, hand fight and see if I could wear on
that back.â€

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