PFL Jake Paul leaving PFL

[jeskola]

Jake Paul’s Partnership with PFL Ends After Three Years​

Tristen Critchfield Jan 21, 2026

Jake Paul never came close to fighting under the PFL banner. | PFL MMA

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The Jake Paul era in Professional Fighters League proved to be uneventful, to say the least.

According to a report from Yahoo! Sports, Paul is no longer part of the PFL roster and his affiliation with the company — both as a fighter and for business purposes — has come to an end after approximately three years. Sherdog.com subsequently confirmed the news with a source close to the situation. It doesn’t appear that Paul was released; instead, his contract with the PFL simply reached its conclusion.

At the beginning of 2023, it was announced that the Youtube personality turned boxer signed with the PFL under the auspices that he would eventually compete in mixed martial arts. Paul also bought in as a minority owner and was initially expected to help launch PFL’s pay-per-view super fights division. He also given the title of “Head of Fighter Advocacy.”

“I’ve proven myself in and out of the boxing ring and now I am going to do the same in MMA, and there is no limit to the positive impact I can make on the sport. I plan to enter the PFL SmartCage and once again show the world that that anything is possible with hard work and dedication,” Paul said in a 2023 release.

“Outside of the cage, equal fighter-pay and advocating for female fighters has been my passion, and I am aligned with PFL to evolve the sport,” Paul added. “I believe in PFL, their mission, and what they have accomplished in a very short period of time. That is why I chose to partner with PFL exclusively, both as a fighter and a businessperson. 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.”

Broken Promises​

Over the course of his three-year affiliation with the PFL, Paul fought eight times in the boxing ring, but he never came close to competing in MMA. In late 2023, Most Valuable Promotions announced that Paul had reached an agreement to face Nate Diaz in an MMA bout under the PFL banner, but that fight never came to fruition.

Paul is coming off a sixth-round knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in a boxing match on Netflix. He is currently recovering from a broken jaw suffered in the defeat.

https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Jake-Pauls-Partnership-with-PFL-Ends-After-Three-Years-199837

 

[xhaydenx]

PFL is dying hard anyway. Lost all their talent and blew a huge amount of cash on Ngannou for no return whatsoever. They can't afford to have Ngannou even fight now.

They can't afford Jake either at this point.

 

[BoxerMaurits]

What an awesome MMA-career he’s had.

 

[jeskola]

They lost Jake, Dong Davis, and Ray Sefo.

The roster is like






I guess they have McKee, Battle and Eblen.

 

[CC27]

PFL is dying hard anyway. Lost all their talent and blew a huge amount of cash on Ngannou for no return whatsoever. They can't afford to have Ngannou even fight now.

They can't afford Jake either at this point.

might actually be better for them. They are getting rid of all the old guard and starting fresh with this new ceo. Getting rid of tournaments and season and just making fights, so could be better in the end for them cutting the dead weight and having new guys who are already smarter than last.

just getting rid of season shit which didnt work but Davis thought was amazing is a positive. Now we'll see if these new guys can do anything and land the new tv deal that sets the ship on the right course but think these moves are a positive.

 

[xhaydenx]

might actually be better for them. They are getting rid of all the old guard and starting fresh with this new ceo. Getting rid of tournaments and season and just making fights, so could be better in the end for them cutting the dead weight and having new guys who are already smarter than last.

just getting rid of season shit which didnt work but Davis thought was amazing is a positive. Now we'll see if these new guys can do anything and land the new tv deal that sets the ship on the right course but think these moves are a positive.

I think it's going to be too late for these changes to really do much.

Just losing all their talent like that was such a huge mistake. They should have thrown money first at keeping them. They didn't, and now don't have much going forward. Their only star that fights is Dakota, and honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they lose her even without the new deal they got her on. They're having her do nothing fights at the moment.

And there's not much incentive for upcoming fighters to go to the PFL now. The 1 mil and then 500k prizes were a huge incentive, and allowed them to get names. Now, why would you bother with PFL? Much better to go to an actual feeder league like LFA or whatever and aim for the UFC.

 

[JakePaulMMA]

What an awesome MMA-career he’s had.

Undefeated!

 

[Doctor Grudge]

I think it's going to be too late for these changes to really do much.

Just losing all their talent like that was such a huge mistake. They should have thrown money first at keeping them. They didn't, and now don't have much going forward. Their only star that fights is Dakota, and honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they lose her even without the new deal they got her on. They're having her do nothing fights at the moment.

And there's not much incentive for upcoming fighters to go to the PFL now. The 1 mil and then 500k prizes were a huge incentive, and allowed them to get names. Now, why would you bother with PFL? Much better to go to an actual feeder league like LFA or whatever and aim for the UFC.

People who sign with the PFL are already above feeder leagues. The PFL isn't a feeder league.

PFL's problems are much bigger than losing talent that are ultimately, worth very little.

 

[xhaydenx]

People who sign with the PFL are already above feeder leagues. The PFL isn't a feeder league.

PFL's problems are much bigger than losing talent that are ultimately, worth very little.

I know PFL isn't a feeder league, but they're not a good end location anymore. I don't even know if they're a good stepping stone to the UFC at this point. Coming from PFL isn't going to give them some amazing bargaining power.

What are PFL's bigger problems?

 

[Doctor Grudge]

I know PFL isn't a feeder league, but they're not a good end location anymore. I don't even know if they're a good stepping stone to the UFC at this point. Coming from PFL isn't going to give them some amazing bargaining power.

What are PFL's bigger problems?

Marketing, broadcasting, funding, matchmaking. With some of those being such large problems that they could be split up into many sub categories.

Ultimately, promotions do not struggle to compete because they lack talent. It's their inability to make people care about the talent they already have which is the issue.

PFL is basically pivoting to non American markets, which is why I think they didn't really try to retain a lot of their talent.

 

[David R]

Marketing, broadcasting, funding, matchmaking. With some of those being such large problems that they could be split up into many sub categories.

Ultimately, promotions do not struggle to compete because they lack talent. It's their inability to make people care about the talent they already have which is the issue.

PFL is basically pivoting to non American markets, which is why I think they didn't really try to retain a lot of their talent.

New management says they will focus on the American market. Knighthead Capital Management (USA) and 885 Capital (UAE) bought control of PFL. Their goal is to get rid of their debt. Thus the American market is their goal.

Knighthead is based in USA but focus on UK sports. They own.

Knighthead Capital Management has ownership:

Football (Soccer): Knighthead, through its affiliate Shelby Companies Limited, holds nearly complete ownership of Birmingham City Football Club and Birmingham City Women Football Club.

Cricket: The firm has a 49% stake in the English cricket franchise, the Birmingham Phoenix.

Netball: Knighthead is a major shareholder in the Netball Super League team, the Birmingham Panthers, which joined the league in 2025.
...

 

[Neck&Neck]

Hopefully Dan Hardy is the next to leave

 

[STAY GOLD]

They lost Jake, Dong Davis, and Ray Sefo.

The roster is like

View attachment 1130365
View attachment 1130366
View attachment 1130367
View attachment 1130368

I guess they have McKee, Battle and Eblen.

All great fighters.

 

[minowasmullet]

I forgot he was attached to them I think the return on investment was declining

 

[Doctor Grudge]

New management says they will focus on the American market. Knighthead Capital Management (USA) and 885 Capital (UAE) bought control of PFL. Their goal is to get rid of their debt. Thus the American market is their goal.

Knighthead is based in USA but focus on UK sports. They own.

Knighthead Capital Management has ownership:

Football (Soccer): Knighthead, through its affiliate Shelby Companies Limited, holds nearly complete ownership of Birmingham City Football Club and Birmingham City Women Football Club.

Cricket: The firm has a 49% stake in the English cricket franchise, the Birmingham Phoenix.

Netball: Knighthead is a major shareholder in the Netball Super League team, the Birmingham Panthers, which joined the league in 2025.
...

Yeah, I think so. I was talking about how they handled the Bellator merger era.

 

[SuspectChin]

They lost Jake, Dong Davis, and Ray Sefo.

The roster is like

View attachment 1130365
View attachment 1130366
View attachment 1130367
View attachment 1130368

I guess they have McKee, Battle and Eblen.

Their biggest draw Cedric Doumbe (arguably) hasn't even fought in going onto two years.

 

[STAY GOLD]

Much better to go to an actual feeder league like LFA or whatever and aim for the UFC.

Going to PFL and making UFC money is better than going to LFA for a few hundred dollars. Plus if you excel in PFL, the UFC will make a move for you once your deal is up.

 

[jeskola]

All great fighters.

We have aca
PFL isn't breaking into anything on ov

 

[jeskola]

Going to PFL and making UFC money is better than going to LFA for a few hundred dollars. Plus if you excel in PFL, the UFC will make a move for you once your deal is up.

I don't use the term cope because it's a lame term used by shit heads

 

[STAY GOLD]

I don't use the term cope because it's a lame term used by shit heads

Care to elaborate? I'm not even defending PFL, but it's widely known that PFL pays much better than LFA. PFL at least pays fighters comparable salaries to the UFC. Meanwhile LFA is paying fighters hundreds to compete in title fights.