A potential landscape-shifted announcement was made on Thursday when news broke that PFL and Most Valuable Promotions are set for an MMA merger.
PFL will slowly dissolve as a brand over the remainder of 2026, and beginning in 2027 it will be known as MVP MMA. It will combine the efforts of Jake Paul and Nakisa Badarian with CEO John Martin for a push to be the clear No. 2 promotion in the sports, with eventually ambitions to overtake UFC as the No. 1.
Although some details are still scarce, the information delivered so far has registered to the MMA world with a combination of excitement and hopefulness.
Check below for the top social media reactions to the PFL-MVP MMA merger.
🚨Most Valuable Promotions and the Professional Fighters League have officially
merged. 🚨 Together under the MVP banner, we’re bringing world-class boxing, MMA, premium live events, athlete development, and global content distribution into one fighter-first organization. The… pic.twitter.com/uVVP9OFlol
— PFL (@PFLMMA) July 30, 2026
Our goals at MVP have always been bigger than just building a boxing promotion. It has been to build the future of combat sports with a true fighter-first approach. In less than five years, MVP has become one of the most influential and culturally relevant brands in the industry,… pic.twitter.com/HpXFF1eNrH
— Nakisa Bidarian (@nakisa_bidarian) July 30, 2026
PFL 🤝 MVP pic.twitter.com/A8Dl3A0iTY
— CrisCy₿org.Com (@criscyborg) June 5, 2026
Official Statement from PFL CEO @JohnMartinPFL on the MVP x PFL merger pic.twitter.com/sZIpqQEVfr
— PFL (@PFLMMA) July 30, 2026
The timing of this is really interesting for a lot of reasons but let's not forget PFL's broadcast deal with ESPN ends in 2026.
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) July 30, 2026
Will the new MVP MMA seek a long term broadcast deal or possibly strike some kind of hybrid deal that potentially includes a partner like Netflix? The… https://t.co/hs2uwmoIcu
So this was the play. I mean, I guess. https://t.co/rHciik1EYV
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) July 30, 2026
On PFL MVP MMA-
- Calling it a “merger” is interesting, especially given PFL is paying MVP an eight-figure sum.
- The real question is how the transaction is ultimately structured.
- It is difficult to imagine Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian attaching themselves to an entity with…— FrontRowBrian™ 🇺🇸 ₿ (@FrontRowBrian) July 30, 2026
Jake Paul speaks on the MVP X PFL MERGER 🗣️🔥 pic.twitter.com/YdJK0gsKoW
— MVP - Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) July 30, 2026
I cannot lie…
— LazyBed™ (@LazyBedJBR) July 30, 2026
The @PFLMMA x @MostVpromotions merger (including Rizin crossover news) has me feeling the most optimistic I’ve felt about MMA in some time.
This is incredible news for any fan of this sport who craves a return to a higher quality of product. I’m HYPED.
Initial reaction to the MVP and PFL merger. Much more to come, but these are some initial thoughts:https://t.co/IzIlkQJndb
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 30, 2026
The sport is better with competition.
— Zac (@zaclikesmma) July 30, 2026
2027 is going to be insane for the sport.
2009 Bellator MMA first event.
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) July 30, 2026
2012 WSOF first event.
2017 WSOF relaunched as PFL.
2023 PFL acquires Bellator.
2025 Bellator ceases operations. Roster consolidated with PFL.
2026 PFL merges with MVP MMA.
2027 shaping up to be a fascinating year for MMA. The kind we haven’t seen in a while.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 30, 2026
UFC year 2 on P+. Swimming along.
MVP MMA launch (the plan is for the brand to fully migrate in Jan 2027)
Scott Coker’s re-entry into MMA.
The last two are only as strong as their TV…
Maybe, but anything is better than "World Series of Fighting," truly the worst imaginable name for a promotion. https://t.co/ag0g8leMER
— Luke Thomas🏋️♀️ (@lthomasnews) July 30, 2026
Huge news. Have a good feeling about it all.
— Paul Hughes MMA (@paulhughesmma) July 30, 2026
Looking forward to the future @JohnMartinPFL @nakisa_bidarian @jakepaul https://t.co/xjXu2ZJsXt
This is very interesting news. If this merger means more big Netflix shows, this could be a game changer. https://t.co/a6xCgguQqD
— Matthew Wells (@MrMWells) July 30, 2026
Official statement from PFL CEO, John Martin, on the MVP x PFL merger.💥 pic.twitter.com/qks0ulxGgN
— MVP - Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) July 30, 2026
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: 'Now who's laughing?' MMA community reacts to PFL-MVP merger
