Rumors have it that Jake Paul’s unique contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) has come to an end. This would effectively close the door on an MMA career that never truly got off the ground. While Paul has broken Netflix records with his boxing superfights against Mike Tyson and Anthony Joshua, he never got the chance to compete in MMA so far.
Jake Paul’s MMA career may have come to an end
In January 2023, Jake Paul signed a multi-year deal with PFL to fight in MMA. At the time, there were plans for at least one MMA fight. It would coincide with the launch of a new ‘Super Fight’ division. This new division would exist outside the traditional weight-class categories. It even promised better pay for fighters, thanks to Pay-Per-View cards. However, it never came to fruition.
On January 22, Uncrowned’s Ariel Helwani, one of the most credible news sources about combat sports, made a shocking revelation. Helwani said, “Whatever affiliation, business-wise or not, that Jake Paul and his team had with the PFL, I’m hearing that that is no more.” He continued, “So that is something that kept being brought up, regarding would he fight, would he not, promotional – that was a big thing that they did a couple years ago. I’m told that that term has come to an end.”
This piece of news has come a day after PFL’s founder, Donn Davis, and CEO Peter Murray announced their exits. In his official statement posted on X, Davis wrote, “TODAY I’M STEPPING DOWN AS CHAIRMAN OF PFL.” He also expressed his pride in the way the league changed MMA for good.
The official press release announcing Jake Paul’s contract with PFL had stated that he would be the first member and co-founder of PFL’s ‘Super Fight’ division. He also took on the role of ‘Head of Fighter Advocacy.’ He said, “As Head of Fighter Advocacy, I will consistently promote PFL fighters and I invite all top MMA fighters, both men and women, to join the PFL and get a payday like they’ve never had before.”
Originally reported by Ankita Shaw on Mandatory.
