Outside Source
Following the announcement that Jake Paul’s promotion and the PFL will merge operations under the MVP banner while continuing to promote boxing and MMA, TKO Group Holdings President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro shared his views on the latest major development in the combat sports industry.
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TKO’s Mark Shapiro welcomes Jake Paul’s MVP-PFL merger, says competition makes UFC stronger
The MVP-PFL union prompted questions about whether the combined promotion could eventually challenge the UFC’s position atop the sport. So far, UFC CEO Dana White, several former fighters and now TKO Group Holdings’ COO have all rejected the idea that UFC could be surpassed.
Rather than dismissing the newly formed promotion, Shapiro suggested that increased competition could ultimately benefit the combat sports landscape.
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“I would say that clearly on an individual, standalone basis, these promotions, both MVP and PFL, were not necessarily sustainable,” Shapiro said on a recent call with investors. “Now they’ve come together and we’ll see what they can conjure up. What we know is that competition has always made us stronger and a rising tide lifts all boats.”
Shapiro’s comments were more measured than White’s, who previously dismissed the merged promotion as a serious threat.
The new company plans to absorb the PFL into the MVP brand while maintaining separate boxing and MMA events. Paul has made his intention to challenge UFC for the top spot clear. That ambition is supported by MVP’s early momentum, including its inaugural MMA event in May, which drew strong viewership on Netflix. Paul has also teased another major MMA card for 2027, one that could potentially feature his mixed martial arts debut.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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