YouTuber turned celebrity boxer Jake Paul will soon be making his mixed martial arts debut, as he has signed a multi-fight contract with the MMA promotion PFL and will fight in a new section, known as Super Fight, which will feature live-streamed PPV events.
I’ve disrupted boxing before, and now it’s time to disrupt MMA: Jake Paul
No match has yet been scheduled for the undefeated pro boxer, who intends to fight in both boxing and MMA this year. Paul confirmed the news to The New York Times.
“This is about changing MMA, disrupting, innovating and creating the next big league,” said Paul, who later broke the news in a video posted to his social media platforms.
“I’ve disrupted boxing before, and now it’s time to disrupt MMA,” Paul added. “I know it’s such a tough sport, and it’s not going to be easy, but if I could do it in boxing, I could do it in MMA.”
Paul was last seen in action back in October when he defeated Anderson Silva via unanimous decision. The 25-year-old boxer is 6–0 as a professional. No official timetable for Paul’s MMA debut has been set, with PFL chairman Donn Davis telling ESPN it could wait until early next year.
“I think what made Jake interesting to the fans was that he works hard and doesn’t underestimate what it takes,” Davis said. “He knows he’s not ready (for his MMA debut) right now, but he’s starting to train. I think it will be in about a year, so early 2024, where you will see him face his first opponent. But the kind of opponents he thinks of will shock the world in terms of status and brand.”
In the Super Fight division, fighters are expected to earn at least 50% of revenue from PPV sales, with episodes distributed by both ESPN and DAZN, according to the New York Times report. Paul has been strongly vocal about fighter compensation and has continuously criticized Dana White and the UFC for not giving their fighters a sufficient share of the company earnings and PPV sales.
Paul has mentioned the idea of setting up a fighters union. He, along with Nakisa Bidarian, the former UFC chief financial officer and his business partner, are even PFL shareholders. Paul’s role, officially dubbed as the “Head of Fighter Advocacy”, will have him post infor on PFL across social media platforms.