The MMA industry was shaken up by some big news this summer after the PFL joined forces with Jake Paul's MVP MMA, a rising and promising promotion that made a big splash with their debut event on Netflix earlier this year.
Since the announcement of the PFL-MVP merger, which goes into effect at the start of 2027, there have been many opinions floating on the matter. Some think it's a positive for MMA, while others have their doubts. Daniel Marcos, who recently left the UFC and signed with the PFL, sees it as a win for the sport and, more importantly, the fighters.
"I think for all fighters, both in and outside the roster, it's a very good thing because it's a big opportunity, and now people are talking a lot about fighter pay, and that's good,"
Marcos told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. "I'm happy, and I'm happy to be a part of this. We all know who Jake Paul is, and yeah, I'm very happy with how things are playing out for me. I'm here to do my job and give my best. Expectations are high for PFL this year."
Marcos (18-1), who many thought was unfairly cut by the UFC after going 5-1 in the promotion, makes his PFL debut this Saturday at PFL Tampa. The event takes place at Benchmark International Arena in Florida. The Peruvian takes on former Bellator title challenger Magomed Magomedov (22-5) in a bantamweight bout.
Marcos believes the PFL-MVP MMA merger goes further than being good for the fighters. He also thinks the union makes for a stronger promotion, which ultimately creates a better product for the fans.
"This is 100 percent positive," Marcos said. "They're going to sign a lot of good people. We saw at the MVP MMA event there were a lot of top-level athletes who are highly recognized, many legends. So let's see how everything shakes out, but yeah, I do think it's promising for the evolution of the company."
Marcos said he was generally content with his pay in the UFC. He did reveal that he got a pay increase now with the PFL, which he is happy about. He hopes Paul stands by his comments on having a more fair revenue share than the UFC.
"When you join a promotion, you need to climb up the rankings or become a star to get better pay. Everyone knows that," Marcos said. "When you first enter, you have a base salary, a basic pay, and that evolves based on your performance. I have no issues with that, and I haven't had issues with my pay at any company, but if Jake Paul says he's going to bring up pay, I welcome that. I welcome anything that's good for the fighters. We fight to improve our lives and our family's."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Daniel Marcos: PFL-MVP merger is '100 percent positive' for fighters
