Jake Paul signed a groundbreaking contract with the PFL for the first MMA fight

Jake Paul’s combat sports show is moving to the cage.

Paul, a YouTuber turned prifighter turned mastermind promoter, is teaming up with the Professional Fighters League in a groundbreaking deal that sent shockwaves through the MMA industry when it was announced Thursday.

Paul and the PFL have teamed up to create a pay-per-view division called PFL PPV Super Fight, a division that guarantees fighters receive 50% of their earnings from their events. Paul is the first fighter signed to the new division. He doesn’t have a fight scheduled, but plans to compete in 2023.

I’ve proven myself in and out of the boxing ring, and now I’m going to do the same in MMA, and my positive impact knows no bounds,” Paul said in a statement released by the PFL on Thursday.

Paul and the PFL said they want to create a fighter-first culture with a new 50-50 revenue partnership model for all pay-per-view fights. The income distribution is much better than the talent in the UFC, where the fighters are multiplied earn less than 20 percent of gross income.

Also in the announcement, Paul has been named director of fighter advocacy and said he will continue to work toward a business model that benefits warfighters. “I invite all the best MMA fighters, both male and female, to join the PFL and get a payday like they’ve never had before,” he said.

Fighter welfare is not a new crusade for Paul, who has repeatedly called for UFC president Dana White to increase fighter pay. Equal pay for fighters and championing female fighters has been a passion of mine and I am aligned with the PFL to grow the sport, Paul said.

As a result of the deal, Paul and his business partner Nakisa Bidarian, formerly the UFC’s CFO, now own a stake in the PFL and plan to use their expertise and platforms to promote and recruit fighters for Super Fight. division.

PFL CEO Peter Murray said the league and Paul have a compatible view of fair pay for fighters. What Jake represents in values, the PFL represents values ​​in creating more opportunities for fighters on big stages, to make more money and for fighters to get what they deserve, Murray said Wednesday night.

Murray said the Pauls brand, along with a 50-50 revenue split, will attract top talent to the season-based PFL, which already awards $1 million in prizes to the champions of the six divisions at the end of each season.

The partnership with Jake Paul will definitely attract the attention of top fighters because now they have a global stage and a business opportunity to make more money, Murray said.

PFL Chairman and Founder Donn Davis said the Paul deal begins the next phase of our growth by disrupting the MMA pay-per-view market with an unprecedented new model where fighters are true 50-50 financial partners in PPV revenue.

The Super Fight division will host independent events separate from the PFL season and stage two pay-per-view cards starting in 2023, with further scaling in subsequent years.

Known as The Problem Child, Paul has compiled an impressive boxing record (6-0-0, 4 KOs) against non-boxers. However, his ring skills are clearly improving as he has dominated three former UFC luminaries in his last four bouts. His highlights include sensational knockout wins over Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley, who he also won by decision.

The biggest moment of Pauls’ boxing career came in October when he beat MMA legend and former UFC long-time middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Paul won by unanimous decision after dropping Silva with a crushing right hand. Here’s the shot that shocked Silva:

Paul said he will continue his boxing career and make his PFL debut at some point this year. He said: I am going to enter the PFL SmartCage and once again show the world that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.