PFL’s new CEO John Martin has just arrived on the scene, and could have just been handed one of the biggest fights in MMA history.
The former Turner Broadcasting CEO took over MMA’s second biggest promotion in July, and within his first official month with the company appears to have stumbled into a crossover mega-fight.
When Oleksandr Usyk defeated Daniel Dubois just days after Turner’s appointment, he made waves by facing off in the ring with Jake Paul. However, the boxing duo want to compete inside the cage, which would mean the social media star finally making his debut after signing with the PFL in 2023.
- Who is Jake Paul? Get to know the YouTuber-turned-boxing sensation after his record-breaking fight with Mike Tyson
PFL CEO John Martin wants to bring Jake Paul vs Oleksandr Usyk to the Smart Cage
Over the past few weeks, both Paul and Usyk have been going back-and-forth on social media with their own messages about wanting to meet in the cage. Obviously, the 28-year-old would be seen as a comical underdog if they were to box, but his wrestling background makes an MMA fight intriguing.
And Martin, no stranger to garnering millions of viewers in his days as a TV exec, is certainly not going to turn down the chance to put on one of the most exciting fights in the sport’s history.
Speaking with Bloody Elbow in Dubai ahead of Friday night’s Champions Series event, Martin remained coy about details, but noted that promotional co-founder Donn Davis stays in touch with Paul and his business partner Nakisa Bidarian.
“I think this is my one month anniversary and I’ve been quite busy,” he noted. “But I look forward to that [meeting with Bidarian and Paul.
“My understanding is that if Jake decides he wants to fight MMA, he has a relationship with PFL and we’d be a great place for him to do it. So we’ll wait and see what happens.
Asked directly if that fight is the one he’d be keen to make, Martin responded enthusiastically: “The answer’s yes!”
“That’d be amazing,” he continued. “I mean look, Jake has done extraordinarily well in boxing and I think he’s surprised a lot of people. And I would love to have the opportunity to consider him doing an MMA fight with PFL.”
Martin refused to confirm if the fight would take place in 2026, or make a prediction as to who would win.
Oleksandr Usyk sent Jake Paul cage fight message
Usually when it comes to a Jake Paul callout, it’s the YouTuber-turned-boxer who is turning up the heat. But in this case, it appears that current undisputed heavyweight champion Usyk is the one keen to make the fight happen, particularly as he eyes retirement from the ring with his 39th birthday on the horizon.
After Paul listed a fight with Usyk at number five in his 2030 bucket list, the boxer replied by writing on X: “Good plan. But I’m not here for 5th place — only first. Soon, I’ll close the book on boxing, and after that, I’ll be waiting for you in the cage. Let’s see if you’ve got the balls or just a hunger for hype.”
Within five years, Paul wants to beat Usyk, fight on the moon, return to Hollywood where he plans to win an Oscar and begin planning for a Presidential campaign.