PFL, MVP merge to create new combat sports company

The Professional Fighters League and Most Valuable Promotions announced Thursday that the companies have merged under the MVP banner.

The newly reimagined sports and entertainment company will specialize in "boxing, MMA, media, blockbuster live events, athlete development, and worldwide content distribution," according to a press release. The merger is expected to be completed later this year.

"We started MVP to disrupt a broken model," MVP co-founder Jake Paul said in a statement. "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."

"We're not just combining companies; we're bringing an entire combat sports community together and creating a more powerful platform to accelerate growth," said PFL CEO John Martin, who's set to serve the new company in the same capacity.

Paul and fellow MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian will lead the revamped organization.

MVP and MVPW will continue to be "boxing cornerstones" of the brand. The PFL's roster, league operations, and media assets will serve as the background for MVP MMA.

"This merger accelerates our MMA ambitions while strengthening our ability to continue investing in boxing and MVPW," Bidarian said. "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."

Friday's MMA card, headlined by a main event fight between Usman Nurmagomedov and Archie Colgan, will still be held as a PFL event, with MVP serving as the "master brand."