Jake Paul Declares UFC 'Dying', Vows to 'Take Over' MMA with MVP

The YouTuber-turned-boxer says his promotion is poised to disrupt the sport and put fighters first

Mar. 11, 2026 at 11:18am

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Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) held a press conference in Los Angeles to promote their first MMA event, Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano. However, the event seemed more focused on bashing the UFC than selling the actual fight. Paul and Rousey criticized the UFC for not paying fighters enough and failing to book the biggest fights fans want to see. Paul declared the UFC is 'dying' and that MVP is 'here to take over' the MMA space by putting fighters first.

Why it matters

Jake Paul has made a name for himself by trash-talking the UFC and its president Dana White. This latest event continues that feud and signals Paul's ambitions to disrupt the MMA landscape with his own promotion. It raises questions about the UFC's ability to retain top talent and create must-see matchups in the face of competition from upstart promotions.

The details

During the press conference, Ronda Rousey accused the UFC of prioritizing shareholder value over fighter pay and matchmaking. Jake Paul echoed those sentiments, saying the UFC is at a 'bottleneck' because they 'aren't willing to spend money' on the big fights fans want to see. He was particularly critical of the UFC's recent 'Freedom 250' event, calling the card a 'lazy hodgepodge' that failed to live up to the hype.

  • The MVP press conference took place on Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles.

The players

Jake Paul

A YouTuber-turned-boxer who has built his career off of trash-talking the UFC and beating up the promotion's aging stars. He is the founder of Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), which is now venturing into MMA.

Ronda Rousey

A former UFC women's bantamweight champion who is set to compete in MVP's first MMA event against Gina Carano. Rousey criticized the UFC for not paying fighters enough and prioritizing shareholder value.

Dana White

The president of the UFC, who has been a frequent target of Jake Paul's criticism.

Francis Ngannou

A former UFC heavyweight champion who Jake Paul expressed interest in fighting in a boxing match.

Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Jake Paul's new MMA promotion that is seeking to disrupt the UFC by putting fighters first and booking the biggest fights fans want to see.

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What they’re saying

“MMA is in a weird position right now. It's the wild west and I believe we have a massive opportunity here to disrupt the whole space and to put fighters first, get them the pay that they deserve, the platform that they deserve, because I believe the UFC is dying and MVP is here to take over.”

— Jake Paul

“I think it's been tough for them to create stars and the fights that they want for how little they're willing to spend. So they're kind of at a bottleneck and that's why I think we've seen fights that people aren't super, super excited about and the biggest stars in the sport like Jon Jones and Conor McGregor [not] fighting on a consistent basis.”

— Jake Paul

“I think the White House itself will be the star. I was disappointed by the card. I think many fans were, just because there was such high expectations. I think if they weren't hyping it for so long, maybe if they just announced it randomly, then people would be happy. But they just made it seem like it was gonna be the greatest card of all time. And it certainly isn't.”

— Jake Paul

What’s next

Jake Paul indicated he is '100%' interested in competing in MMA at some point, though he said his first fight would likely be against someone in his own weight class. He also expressed interest in a boxing match against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

The takeaway

Jake Paul's latest event highlights his ongoing feud with the UFC and Dana White, as he seeks to position his new MMA promotion MVP as a disruptive force in the sport. This signals an escalating battle for talent and fan attention between the established UFC and upstart promotions like MVP that are promising to put fighters first.