Like a shark, Jake Paul can smell a fight from miles away. He can seek out even if that means putting his own event at risk. The incident at the inaugural MVP MMA event points in that direction.

As the card headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano progressed at the Intuit Dome in California, chaos erupted when UFC star Arman Tsarukyan exchanged heated words with fighter Namo Fazil after his win over Jake Babian in the prelims. After the win, the Kurdish fighter publicly called out the Armenian, claiming the two “needed to talk” because of his past remark labelling Kurds as “gypsies.”

Later, as Fazil was walking past Tsarukyan on his way out, the two exchanged some pointed words, after which the UFC star tried to jump the barrier separating the crowd from the fighter walkway. While the security intervened at the time, Tsarukyan, along with some of his men, tried to confront Fazil again backstage. But they were prevented by security, which included Most Valuable Promotions founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. Before things could escalate any further, the UFC lightweight was escorted out of the arena. While it concerned many, Jake Paul saw it differently.

“I’m part Armenian,” Paul responded when a reporter pointed at Fazil’s call-out to Tsarukyan. “That’s my brother Arman out there.”

But he promptly acknowledged the situation, adding that a fight between Tsarukyan, with whom he enjoys a close friendship, and Fazil would be “incredible.”

“Namo put on a show; he’s an incredible fighter,” Jake Paul said. “I think a superstar, you know, very rarely do you see someone who has that it factor, that X factor, and he really has that, and I think he has his fans behind him in Kurdistan. So I think we have a potential superstar on our hands.”

However, despite his warm feelings for both men, the social media star admitted that a brawl between them, like the one prevented by his security backstage, would have been great to witness.

Backstage tension defused, Jake Paul left unsatisfied

Paul, watching it unfold, made no secret of his frustration that it didn’t fully break out between the two.

“I wish that scrap would have happened backstage,” Paul confessed.

Making the details spicier, the YouTuber-turned-fighter shared how he was trying his best to add fuel to the Trasukyan-Fazil rivalry backstage, drawing laughter from associate and MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian.

“There’s the business side, and then there’s the fighter side,” he added. “I was right there with Arman trying to get this squabble to happen, and then Nakisa stopped us, you know, so I got to listen to big brother here.”

Against a broader backdrop, the moment also tied into Paul’s wider combat sports push.

The event already featured crossover tension, including just a day before the event unfolded, Jake Paul traded barbs with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who closed the main card against Brazil’s Felipe Lins, with a potential boxing match in discussion.

That same promotional push also included talk of a potential Jon Jones vs. Ngannou fight under the MVP-UFC banner. A Tsarukyan-Fazil matchup could follow a similar blueprint.

The pattern reflects Paul’s growing appetite for high-drama fight promotion. For now, it’s clear the MVP boss isn’t slowing down. And if this event is any indication, more unexpected twists are likely to follow.