Jake Paul MMA Promotion, Most Valuable Promotions launched its first MMA event on May 16, 2026, on Netflix — and the fighter pay structure it announced before a single punch was thrown was the real story.
A $40,000 minimum for every fighter on the card. Flat-rate purses instead of the UFC’s show-and-win model. A revenue share that MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian described publicly as ‘much higher than 50%.’ All of it directed squarely at the UFC’s compensation structure.
The question the MMA business world is now asking: is this a real alternative to the UFC, or an expensive one-night statement?
What MVP Actually Paid Fighters
Before the event, MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian announced on The Ariel Helwani Show that every fighter on the card would receive a minimum of $40,000 — more than three times the UFC’s $12,000 to show baseline.
Unlike the UFC’s show-and-win structure, MVP paid flat-rate purses. Fighters received their full guaranteed amount regardless of the result. Lightweight Kenny Cross, who fought Salahdine Parnasse on the card, confirmed the flat-fee structure publicly before the event — a detail independently verified by multiple MMA reporters.
Additional performance bonuses were in play for finishes, though exact amounts were not disclosed for individual fighters. At the post-fight press conference, Bidarian confirmed that all fighters who scored finishes received bonus payouts.
The revenue share figure — ‘much higher than 50%’ — is the number that matters most if it holds. For context, UFC fighters receive approximately 15-18% of UFC revenue. NFL, NBA, and NHL players receive 48-50% through their unions. MVP’s stated model would put fighters above every major professional sports league’s revenue share if true.
What the First Card Looked Like
The inaugural MVP MMA event was headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano — two fighters who hadn’t competed in ten or more years. Rousey won with a vintage 17-second armbar.
The card also featured Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, who defeated Philipe Lins by first-round knockout. Ngannou’s presence — and Jon Jones’ appearance at ringside — generated the event’s most significant business storyline.
Jones told the Netflix broadcast that MVP ‘would probably be the only way’ to make a long-anticipated fight against Ngannou happen, citing his UFC contract as the obstacle. Bidarian acknowledged the fight was unlikely as long as Jones remained under contract to the UFC — but made clear MVP was willing to make it happen if the door opened.
The UFC Broadcast Deal Context
MVP’s launch came as UFC fighter pay was under renewed scrutiny. In 2026, the UFC began operating under a new $7.7 billion broadcast deal with Paramount — and multiple fighters publicly noted their compensation had not increased as a result.
Rousey herself claimed the UFC declined to stage her comeback fight because the promotion was focused on cost-cutting now that the pay-per-view revenue model had been replaced by the broadcast deal structure.
That backdrop made MVP’s fighter pay announcement land harder than it might have otherwise. The UFC’s biggest new revenue deal in history, and the fighters were saying their pay hadn’t moved.
How MVP Compares to UFC — and Its Limits
| UFC | MVP MMA | |
| Minimum fighter pay | $12K show / $12K win | $40,000 flat |
| Pay structure | Show + win bonus | Flat rate |
| Revenue share | ~15-18% | “Much higher than 50%” (stated) |
| Events per year | 40+ | 1 (as of mid-2026) |
| Broadcast | Paramount (new deal) | Netflix (no committed schedule) |
| Fighter contracts | Exclusive, long-term | Event-by-event (stated) |
The structural gap between what MVP says and what it has actually proven is significant. One event with a celebrity-driven headliner does not make a promotion. The UFC runs 40-plus events per year with a deep roster, established broadcast infrastructure, and a global talent pipeline.
Bidarian acknowledged after the first event that MVP MMA 2 was realistic within the calendar year but that no committed schedule with Netflix was in place. The road from one Netflix special to a functioning full-year MMA calendar is long.
What It Means for UFC Fighter Pay
Even if MVP never runs a second MMA event, its first event created real pressure on the UFC’s compensation narrative. The $40,000 minimum became a public benchmark. Fighters now have a number to point to in contract negotiations — not a theoretical argument, but an actual competing offer that was paid out on a card the sport watched.
Jon Jones at ringside. Francis Ngannou on the card. Current UFC fighters publicly praising MVP’s pay model. That is not nothing, even if MVP remains a fraction of the UFC’s scale.
The UFC’s antitrust lawsuit — covering fighters from 2017 to the present — remains ongoing. A competing promotion publicly paying fighters above 50% of revenue on its debut event is the kind of evidence that could matter in that litigation.
The Bottom Line
Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions made a legitimate statement on fighter pay with its first MMA card. The $40,000 minimum, flat-rate structure, and stated revenue share above 50% are all meaningful departures from how the UFC compensates its fighters.
Whether MVP becomes a real alternative to the UFC depends entirely on what happens next. One event is a press release. A full calendar is a business. The MMA world is watching to see which one this turns out to be.
For the full context on how UFC fighter pay works and why the gap exists, see our UFC fighter pay guide and our breakdown of Bellator fighter pay
FAQ
How much did fighters make at the MVP MMA event?
Every fighter on the May 2026 MVP MMA card received a minimum of $40,000 as a flat-rate purse. Fighters who scored finishes received additional performance bonuses, though exact amounts were not publicly disclosed.
Is Most Valuable Promotions a real competitor to the UFC?
As of mid-2026, MVP has run one MMA event. It has stated intentions to expand but has no committed broadcast schedule beyond its Netflix debut. The road from one event to a functioning year-round promotion competing with the UFC is significant.
What is MVP’s revenue share for fighters?
MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian stated publicly that MVP’s revenue share for fighters is ‘much higher than 50%.’ This has not been independently verified through disclosed financial figures. For comparison, UFC fighters receive approximately 15-18% of UFC revenue.
Could Jon Jones fight Francis Ngannou at MVP?
Jones himself said at the MVP MMA 1 event that MVP ‘would probably be the only way’ to make the fight happen, citing his UFC contract as the obstacle. Bidarian confirmed MVP was willing to promote the fight but acknowledged it was unlikely while Jones remained under UFC contract.