If Jake Paul ever decides to make an actual move over to mixed martial arts (MMA) and compete under the Professional Fighters League (PFL) banner then former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) contender Bryan Battle will gladly welcome him with open arms.
Last month, Paul helped spearhead a meaningful merger between PFL and his own promotion, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP). It’s a pretty big deal — even if UFC CEO Dana White seems unthreatened — and ultimately gives Paul even more of a reason to
eventually make a jump to MMA. The social media influencer has been testing his luck in the world of boxing over the past five years, but has always had an itch to compete in something more dangerous. MMA fits that bill.
Paul, who has been known to chase down matchups with aging combat veterans, has already lobbied for his first MMA fight to come against former UFC superstar Nate Diaz. While Diaz already fought and lost to Paul inside of the boxing ring back in 2023 he would stand a much better chance inside of the cage. However, fight fans might not want to see Paul vs. Diaz 2 in any capacity considering their first encounter wasn’t all that exciting.
Luckily for Paul, he already has another suitor who is willing to welcome “Problem Child” to professional MMA. That is none other than former Ultimate Fighter winner and UFC fighter, Bryan Battle, who is currently a member of the PFL roster. “Butcher” lost his PFL debut to Johnny Eblen this past March, but has a chance to right the ship later tonight (Fri., Aug. 7, 2026) at PFL Charlotte against Dalton Rosta in the headlining act.
Battle, who has fought from welterweight all the way up to heavyweight throughout his pro MMA career, believes a matchup against Paul is an easy payday. Check out Battle’s official callout below and let us know if a Paul vs. ‘Pooh Bear’ matchup is something you’d like to see!
“If I could fight Jake Paul next year, why not? It’s an easy payday for me,” said Battle.
“I know he can wrestle and strike, so we can put that to the test in MMA.”
