With the merger of his Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in July, Jake Paul expanded his footprint into the hugely competitive MMA market. The move is arguably tied to the former Disney star’s growing competitive push against the UFC and its CEO, Dana White.
Among the measures Paul and his team have seemingly planned to chip away at the UFC’s dominance is aggressive talent poaching, particularly by offering fighters better pay. In that regard, the UFC’s recent roster cuts could present an unexpected opportunity for “The Problem Child” and MVP. His recent outreach to Michael ‘Venom’ Page is another sign of that effort.
“Think it’s time to bring MVP to MVP,” the cryptic message from Paul read.
Jake Paul’s tweet comes shortly after MVP’s exit from the UFC. Since his loss to Ian Machado Garry two years ago, the London-born fighter had been on a four-fight winning streak. In his most recent appearance at Paris this past Saturday, he comfortably outpointed Nursulton Ruziboev.
Yet despite those accomplishments and his standing as the No. 8-ranked middleweight, Michael Page had to leave the promotion, where he made his debut on March 9, 2024, following a decade-long stint in Bellator.
Addressing Page’s exit, Dana White last night said, “That was his last fight on his contract. I don’t think we’re signing him, no. What’s the confusion? I think it’s been pretty clear that he wasn’t being re-signed, and he would be taken out of the rankings because he’s no longer on the roster.”
White wasn’t particularly explicit about the reasons behind the decision, sticking largely to Page’s contractual status. Still, there were some obvious factors that may have worked against the former Bellator star. Though he had been largely successful in the UFC, suffering only one loss, some of his performances had been criticized for lacking excitement.
That runs counter to what the UFC typically expects from its fighters: showcasing their skills while, more significantly, delivering performances capable of producing excitement and decisive finishes.
Think it’s time to bring MVP to MVP
After beating Ruziboev, the 39-year-old himself acknowledged that he could have done more.
“There is no one in the world who can strike with me, but then again, there are too many people who can survive with me,” Page said. “That’s the problem. That’s what I need to change. My output needs to change. I need to take a lot more risks. I need to doctor my style and do more—adapt it so people feel more comfortable coming forward.”
While the 26-3 fighter expressed hopes to have an open talk with the UFC and explain to them he would deliver “something special for the crowd” if matched against good opponents, MVP has now had to contend with being a free agent.
He could now be looking at a few alternates.
From Jake Paul to new promotions: What’s next for Michael Venom Page?
While he is already lined up to make his freestyle wrestling debut at RAF 14 against Alexander Shlemenko on October 23, Page’s background in kickboxing and boxing could also make promotions such as Karate Combat an option. Back in 2024, he headlined a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event, where he suffered a loss to former UFC fighter Mike Perry.
He could also explore the new MMA promotion launched by Scott Coker. The Seoul-born promoter is the founder of Strikeforce and later became the CEO of Bellator until it merged with PFL.
Page could approach Coker, having fought at the promotion under his stewardship.
Yet, he should not ignore Jake Paul’s MVP either.
After staging one of the year’s biggest MMA events that featured Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano, Francis Ngannou, and Nate Diaz, MVP is clearly in expansion mode and is looking for talents to join its roster.
Add to that the promotion’s plans to keep a 50% revenue share model with its athletes. Reportedly, since the merger, a joint roster includes over 400 fighters from more than 40 countries.
With his entry into MMA, Jake Paul, who has hinted at his own cage appearance next year, challenged Dana White during an interview, saying, “Dana, we’re coming for you, baby. Come on. I know you’re losing sleep, Dana.”
Now, with Michael ‘Venom’ Page suddenly available, Jake Paul may have found another opportunity to take a fighter away from the UFC.
Whether his cryptic post ultimately leads to a deal remains to be seen. But if MVP can work on the deficiencies associated with his style, MVP could offer him a strong platform to revive his career, while giving Jake Paul another opportunity to strengthen his growing MMA roster.