Jake Paul has never been shy about declaring war on the establishment.He has spent years accusing Dana White of underpaying fighters, publicly challenged the UFC president on everything from athlete welfare to revenue sharing and repeatedly insisted there is room for a genuine rival in mixed martial arts.Now, he believes he finally has one.This week, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) completed a landmark merger with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), creating a combat sports company that combines boxing, MMA and entertainment under one banner.The PFL name will gradually disappear over the coming months before being retired completely in January 2027, when the organization officially becomes MVP MMA. The combined company boasts almost 400 athletes worldwide, blending PFL’s roster with MVP’s rapidly growing boxing stable.It is the biggest structural shake-up in MMA since the UFC cemented its dominance more than a decade ago. Jake Paul (pictured above) has never been shy about declaring war on the establishment He has spent years accusing Dana White of underpaying fighters, publicly challenged the UFC president on everything from athlete welfare to revenue sharingNobody inside MVP is pretending Dana White’s empire is about to crumble overnight. But behind the scenes, the ambition is crystal clear.’We know we’re not going to overtake the UFC in the near future,’ MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said. ‘This is a long term plan and over time we can close in on their position and create a Nike-versus-Adidas dynamic, or a Pepsi-versus-Coke dynamic, over the next seven to 10 years.’We started this company five years ago and have been pioneers in boxing and in changing the way people consume content. We delivered the first live professional sporting event on Netflix.’When we decided to enter MMA, we always said that if it proved successful, we would do more. Now, we the advantage of world-class infrastructure, elite fighters and the leadership of John Martin as CEO of the overall platform. We are not here to mess around.’The merger instantly transforms MVP from a boxing promoter into a genuine multi-sport combat sports company.Former PFL chief executive John Martin now oversees the wider business as CEO, while Jake Paul and Bidarian remain on the board, with Bidarian continuing to lead MVP Boxing alongside the promotion’s blockbuster events.Yet while the structure has changed, the philosophy has not.From day one, Jake Paul has built his business around one message: fighters deserve more money. That message now sits at the heart of MVP’s long-term strategy. Daily Mail Sport sat down with Nakisa Bidarian to talk about how he and Paul are looking to reshape the economics of MMA’The focus has always been to give at least 50 per cent of revenue back to the athletes,’ Bidarian explained. ‘If you look at traditional stick-and-ball sports that operate with those kinds of revenue-sharing models, they’ve created enormous enterprise value.’When athletes receive a fair share, they’re more invested, more committed, the product improves, and there’s greater alignment across the sport.’The comments represent another direct challenge to the UFC’s long-standing business model, where fighter pay has remained one of the sport’s most fiercely debated issues.But simply paying athletes more is only one part of the plan. MVP believes it can also create stars in a way its rivals cannot.’It’s about branding, storytelling, exposure, engagement and producing content 24/7,’ Bidarian said. ‘It’s about presenting our athletes for what they are – some of the best fighters in the world.’Nobody does that better than MVP and Jake Paul. Our first MVP MMA event was a tremendous success and this merger turbocharges our ability to build on that momentum.’The next battle will be fought in free agency.MVP knows it cannot approach contracted UFC fighters, but once those deals expire, the landscape changes. Bidarian believes PFL star Dakota Ditcheva has what it takes to become a global super star’In MMA, just like in boxing, if a fighter is under contract you can’t interfere with that,’ Bidarian said. ‘You have to wait until they become free agents.’For example, the 155-pound champion Usman, who fought on Friday night, has just completed the final fight of his contract. I’m sure the UFC will try to re-sign him.’But whenever a fighter comes out of contract with the UFC, of course we’ll take a look. If they’re the right fit for us, and we’re the right fit for them, we’d love to make that partnership happen.’The ambition stretches well beyond signing one or two marquee names.’Our goal is to become the Pepsi to their Coke, the Adidas to their Nike, and eventually make this a genuine two-horse race,’ Bidarian said. ‘Sometimes we’ll be ahead, sometimes they’ll be ahead.’But make no mistake, there’s a real opportunity for a fighter-first platform. Very quickly, we’re going to establish ourselves as the leading alternative.’And in seven to 10 years’ time, MVP will be the culturally relevant, empowerment-driven brand that Gen Z, Gen Alpha and even Gen Beta are focused on.’One major advantage MVP believes it holds is flexibility. Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou remains central to the company’s plansUnlike publicly listed companies, Bidarian insists remaining privately owned allows the organization to pursue aggressive deals without shareholders dictating every financial decision.’We intend to remain a private company for the foreseeable future because it provides us with a level of financial flexibility that public companies simply cannot match,’ he said.’In many ways, I would love for the UFC to announce tomorrow that they were increasing fighter pay to 50 per cent of revenue. But they can’t. Doing so would significantly impact their margins, lower their enterprise value and ultimately affect the wealth of their owners. ‘We have the freedom to be more aggressive in how we structure agreements and attract the best talent in the world.’The roster itself is expected to evolve rapidly. Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou remains central to the company’s plans.’That’s absolutely what we want,’ Bidarian said. ‘Francis and I have spoken several times. He’s excited to get back competing. He already has a relationship with the PFL, so it’s just a case of making sure everyone is aligned on how we move forward. But yes, absolutely, Francis Ngannou is going to be part of what we’re building.’Women’s MMA will also become a cornerstone of the new promotion.Bidarian revealed he has already spoken to former UFC superstar Ronda Rousey about the future of the sport. MVP already enjoys a close relationship with Matchroom through their recent boxing alliance, and Bidarian believes the partnership could eventually stretch beyond the squared circle ‘Ronda Rousey is the most dominant female combat sports star in history in terms of popularity,’ he said. ‘She’d be more than welcome to be involved in MVP MMA in whatever role she wants. I spoke to her yesterday and listened to her thoughts on what we need to do.’He also believes the promotion already possesses its next crossover superstar.’Women’s MMA will be a major focus for us. We have Dakota Ditcheva, who I believe is the most marketable female MMA fighter in the world.’She’s still young, undefeated, an outstanding striker and has enormous potential. We’re excited to build around that.’There may even be opportunities for crossover with boxing.MVP already enjoys a close relationship with Matchroom through their recent boxing alliance, and Bidarian believes the partnership could eventually stretch beyond the squared circle and into their ‘talent agency’.’Listen, if Matchroom’s talent from their talent agency become free agents, of course we’ll have those discussions. We have a great working relationship with Eddie and Matchroom.’The two MMA athletes they announced – Tom Aspinall and Ian Machado Garry – are both under UFC contracts, so there are no discussions to be had there for the moment but should they become available that’s different. Bidarian revealed he has already spoken to former UFC superstar Ronda Rousey (winning her contest with Gina Carano above) about the future of the sport’I do think there’s a huge long-term opportunity for Matchroom and MVP as combined entities. That’s not today, and probably not three years from now. But when you think about Eddie’s position in men’s boxing, what we’ve built in women’s boxing, and what we’re going to build in MMA, I think there’s a very clear path to what’s possible over the next five to 10 years.’For now, the UFC remains comfortably on top.Dana White has already dismissed the merger between MVP and PFL, joking that it combines ‘two organizations that struggle to sell tickets’, while TKO president Mark Shapiro has taken a more measured stance, welcoming legitimate competition.But inside MVP, nobody is looking for a quick knockout.Instead, Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian are preparing for a long fight – one they believe could eventually reshape the economics of MMA.They are not promising to replace the UFC.They are trying to become something the sport has never truly had before: a genuine alternative.