When the PFL announced Jake Paul in 2023, it felt like a big, chest-thumping declaration of war—the kind of move that was supposed to turn MMA marketing on its head. ‘The Problem Child’ had momentum, boxing headlines, a large fan base, and the chaos that promotions normally claim to dislike until they can monetize it.

For a while, the deal was based on pure potential. Would he fight inside the SmartCage? Will he bring crossover eyes to MMA, as he did in boxing? Will the PFL ever get a Conor McGregor-style mainstream magnet? The hype stayed alive because nobody ever had to prove anything—until now.

Ariel Helwani confirms Jake Paul is no longer affiliated with the PFL

On The Ariel Helwani show, the combat sports journalist poured cold water on the whole saga by revealing that the deal has ended. “What I’m hearing is that, you know, whatever affiliation, business-wise or not, that Jake Paul and his team had with the PFL, I’m hearing that that is no more,” Helwani said.

He emphasized what made the deal so confusing in the first place: “You know, something that kept being brought up regarding would he fight, would he not, promotional. That was a big thing that they did a couple of years ago. I’m told that that term has come to an end,” Helwani added.

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And that’s the brutal punchline: Jake Paul’s PFL career ends with a 0-0 record. Three years went by without a single walkout, elbow throw, or takedown attempt. The “PFL SmartCage debut” became one of those ideas that sounded good on social media but didn’t work out in practice.

The timing also makes the ending seem unavoidable. Jake Paul’s major focus has always been boxing, and his biggest moments, such as a December knockout loss to Anthony Joshua, kept pulling him further into it. That loss left ‘The Problem Child’ needing surgery and a recovery window.

And with a broken jaw like that, you rarely care about learning leg kick defense and wrestling sprawls. Still, it’s an odd optic for PFL fans to see yet another major name quietly exiting the promotion, including a top-level leadership change that no one saw coming.

Donn Davis quits the PFL after a bombshell statement

Just a day ago came the major shake-up, the kind that affects the company’s entire identity rather than just a single fighter contract. Jake Paul departing quietly is one thing. The founder of the PFL walking away is another. It immediately makes you wonder what the promotion’s future holds, especially because the league format, upon which the PFL was built, has already been stripped down and reshaped.

Donn Davis announced on Wednesday that he was leaving the PFL effective immediately, in a lengthy statement that felt like both a goodbye and a resume. “From the moment I founded the Professional Fighters League eight years ago, it has been my life. My vision was to create an innovative and premium MMA company as a valuable alternative for those who want it or need it,” Davis wrote.

It was a quick reminder to fans that the promotion began with skepticism and was built from the ground up. He portrayed the PFL as a legitimate option in the sport, calling it the clear No. 2 MMA company worldwide, and then backed it up with statistics: global distribution, millions of viewers every event, and a roster stacked with ranked talent.

The emotional tone was what stood out, though. Donn Davis didn’t sound bitter. He sounded proud. “I gave you everything I’ve got… PFL has changed the great sport of MMA for the better—through meaningful innovations, unique global expansion, and fighter empowerment—and the company is just getting started. I’ve loved fighting to build PFL,” he finished.

Now the question shifts from what Donn Davis built to what the PFL becomes without him, especially after a year in which even the huge “disruptor” signings such as Jake Paul began to fade into silence. Is this the beginning of the end for the MMA promotion? Let us know in the comments.