Most Valuable Promotions aims to become a long-term challenger
to the
Ultimate Fighting Championship after completing its merger with
the
Professional Fighters League, combining live events, fighter
promotion and entertainment content under a single brand.

Jake Paul’s MVP Reveals Ambitious Plan to Challenge UFC

MVP's merger with PFL represents one of the most significant recent
developments in the professional mixed martial arts landscape. The
combined company will operate under the MVP name and merge its
promotional and talent management operations with the PFL's event
infrastructure and roster.

MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian and other executives spoke to
Business Insider about how MVP plans to compete
with the UFC.

“We’re not going to overtake UFC in the near term,†Bidarian said.
“Over time, we want to chip away and hopefully create a Nike and
Adidas dynamic, a Pepsi and Coke dynamic, over the next seven to 10
years.â€

PFL CEO John Martin said the goal is to move beyond being only a
live-events company and become a broader entertainment
platform.

“It’s a change in mindset to come from just being a live events
company with elite athletes to being a real content and
entertainment company,†Martin said.

Bidarian believes Jake Paul's
popularity will be a key factor in MVP's efforts to grow its
audience and build new stars.

“He’s not just a creator — he’s a combat sports entrepreneur and
fighter,†Bidarian added. “He’s a unicorn asset when it comes to
being a fighter and a promoter at the same time. Jake is the best
engagement-getter in combat sports by a wide margin.â€

The former two-division
Ultimate Fighting Championship king announced that he is
preparing to undergo surgery after suffering ACL and meniscus
injuries in his rematch with Max
Holloway at
UFC 329.

Conor McGregor's ACL and meniscus injuries from the Max
Holloway rematch force another surgery ahead of his UFC return
plans.

McGregor damaged his ACL and meniscus with the first kick he threw
at UFC 329. After struggling to plant his feet while throwing
strikes and repeatedly falling to the canvas, the referee stopped
the bout after just 69 seconds.“Notorious†is now headed for
another surgery, the fifth surgery of his career.

“Well folks, here we go again! Surgery number 5 of my career coming
up!†McGregor wrote on Instagram. “All things considered that is an
ok number! Let’s do it, WE GOT THIS!â€

Notably, McGregor suffered the same ACL and meniscus injuries in
his other knee during his first bout with Holloway in 2013, which
he won by decision. He took nearly a year to return from that
injury. McGregor's other major in-cage injury was an infamous leg
break in his trilogy bout against Dustin
Poirier, which was followed by a nearly five-year UFC
hiatus.

McGregor has one fight remaining on his UFC contract and expects to
complete it next year. The Irishman previously stated that he's
eyeing an Octagon return for next summer, with International Fight
Week 2027 as his target.

His manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently discussed Nurmagomedov's
contract situation, claiming that the
Professional Fighters League did not offer the unbeaten
lightweight champion a new contract before the final bout of his
deal.

Usman Nurmagomedov's PFL departure creates intrigue around UFC,
Dana White and Khabib Nurmagomedov involvement

Nurmagomedov (22-0) completed the final fight of his PFL contract
at the promotion's July 31 event, where he scored a first-round
knockout victory over Archie
Colgan. Abdelaziz has now revealed that the promotion had the
opportunity to re-sign him ahead of
PFL New York.

“Listen, the truth of the matter is PFL had an opportunity to sign
him before the fight,†Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. “And you know how
much I love PFL… They’re great people. PFL always gives an
opportunity for people and they don’t get enough credit.â€

According to Abdelaziz, Nurmagomedov chose to complete his contract
rather than negotiate a new deal before the fight.

“Usman took a risk,†the veteran manager said. “He could have went
out there and lost. Archie could have beaten him. He took a risk.
He gambled on himself and he won.â€

Abdelaziz then confirmed that PFL has a 90-day exclusive
negotiating window after Nurmagomedov's last bout, following which
they'll assess their options.

“In the next 90 days, they have an exclusive negotiation,â€
Abdelaziz added. “After that, I’m going to talk to other people and
we’ll figure it out.â€

Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana
White previously hinted that the UFC is interested in
Nurmagomedov. However, Abdelaziz downplayed the chances of a UFC
move, claiming that negotiations and Khabib
Nurmagomedov's approval are pending.

“It's not like 100% he’s leaving and going to the UFC. It doesn’t
work like that,†Abdelaziz concluded. “It has to be a lot of
decisions. I have to negotiate, he has to like it, Khabib has to
sign off on it and this is how we work.”