# Jake Paul combat sports promotion expansion

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/jake-paul-combat-sports-promotion-expansion
> Updated: 2026-08-25T04:13:04.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

Jake Paul has been actively expanding his influence in combat sports through his promotion, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), which recently announced a merger with the PFL. During a PFL event in New York, Paul attempted to recruit retired UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov to fight for the newly merged organization, pitching a vision of “changing MMA forever.” Nurmagomedov provided a non-committal response, maintaining his retired status.

In a separate development, UFC President Dana White commented on Paul’s recent boxing career, specifically his bout against Anthony Joshua. While White described Paul’s decision to fight as “ballsy,” he rejected the idea of signing Paul to his new promotion, Zuffa Boxing. White stated his business model prioritizes the world’s best fighters over “Paul brother type fights.”

## Timeline

### 2026-08-25: Dana White praises Jake Paul’s courage but rejects Zuffa Boxing signing

Dana White praised Jake Paul’s courage for fighting Anthony Joshua but ruled out signing him to Zuffa Boxing, stating his promotion focuses on elite-level talent rather than celebrity matchups.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dana-white-praises-jake-pauls-courage-but-rejects-zuffa-boxing-signing

### 2026-08-05: Jake Paul’s MVP-PFL Pitch to Khabib Nurmagomedov Fails in New York

Jake Paul tried to sign retired champion Khabib Nurmagomedov for the new MVP‑PFL promotion at a New York event, but Khabib declined, keeping his retirement intact.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/jake-pauls-mvp-pfl-pitch-to-khabib-nurmagomedov-fails-in-new-york

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Cite as: Jake Paul combat sports promotion expansion. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/jake-paul-combat-sports-promotion-expansion