After announcing a new fight-themed reality show on Disney, Jake Paul‘s signing of RIZIN featherweight champion Razhabali Shaydullaev to his Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) underscores preparations that could push the rivalry with Dana White and the UFC to a fever pitch by the end of the year.
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“Razhabali Shaydullaev is now the RIZIN and PFL featherweight champion,” read the tweet from Ariel Helwani. “He has one fight left with RIZIN, and that will likely take place on NYE.”
“So what about his deal with PFL/MVP? I’m told he has a two-year deal in place with PFL/MVP, which commences in January. Done deal. That commences in January. That’s a great addition to their roster. He’s without question the best 145er outside the UFC.”
Helwani’s comments follow the Kyrgyz fighter’s recent win. Two days ago, headlining Super Rizin 5, which took place in Osaka’s Kyocera Dome, Shaydullaev defeated American A. J. McKee by a unanimous decision to retain his featherweight title.
Shaydullaev, a Tajikistan-born fighter, became a champion in May 202. The win over McKee marks his fourth title defense. He is expected to make his final title defense in RIZIN against Kyoma Akimoto on December 31 at Vantelin Dome in Nagoya.
A professional fighter since 2019, Shaydullaev remains unbeaten with 20 wins. His journey saw him fight under regional organizations in Central Asia, such as Batyr Bashy, before moving on to established promotions like ACA Young Eagles. Things eventually changed in 2024, when he joined RIZIN.
He is also not the first fighter from the Japanese promotion to make such a decision. Notable RIZIN champions who moved on include Kyoji Horiguchi, Jiri Prochazka, and Manel Kape, who later joined the UFC and are now ranked among the top contenders in their respective divisions.
Shaydullaev’s move to Jake Paul’s MVP was made easier by the fact that Thursday’s title defense against McKee had, besides the RIZIN featherweight title, PFL (Professional Fighters League)’s inaugural championship on the line.
Paul signed a multi-year deal with PFL in January 2023, but ended the promotional ties early this year. In the interim, PFL had acquired Bellator.
Razhabali Shaydullaev is now the RIZIN and PFL featherweight champion. He has one fight left with RIZIN, and that will likely take place on NYE. So what about his deal with PFL/MVP? I’m told he has a two-year deal in place with PFL/MVP which commences in January. Done deal. Show more
In July, a surprising twist saw Paul’s MVP announce the landmark merger with PFL, bringing operations under a joint umbrella spanning both boxing and MMA.
With Paul pointing at his own comeback following his sixth-round knockout loss to Anthony Joshua last December, potentially with an MMA debut, the operations are expected to kick off in 2027.
Signing Shaydullaev is not an unprecedented move for Paul and his team. Just days ago, the former Disney star openly expressed his interest in signing Michael Venom Page. The English middleweight contender was left at a crossroads after his UFC contract ended following his recent win over Nursulton Ruziboev.
Jake Paul builds his arsenal for a UFC showdown
The first sparks of this rivalry with UFC perhaps flew back in May, when MVP staged its first-ever MMA event. Headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, the card featured former UFC stars, including Franck Ngannou, Nate Diaz, and Mike Perry.
Broadcast on Netflix, the event at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, reportedly broke the record for the most-watched MMA event after 11.6 million viewers watched it in America. UFC on Fox 1 had held the record till then.
The success of MVP MMA 1 sparked talks of a second event. While details are still filtering in, rumors suggest potential matchups include a fight between Ngannou and Robelis Despaigne as a likely main event. There are also talks about bringing former UFC star Colby Covington onto the roster for an appearance at MVP MMA 2.
Paul appears to be strengthening his camp, even beyond the cage. One step in particular puts him in direct comparison with UFC’s acclaimed reality series The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).
Running into its 34th season, the iconic series where a group of fighters stay together and fight under the guidance and mentorship of UFC legends will face competition from an untitled show led by Jake and his elder brother, Logan Paul.
It marks Jake’s return to Disney through its ownership of the sports and entertainment platform ESPN.
In an open call-out to Dana White, Jake Paul said, “Dana, we’re coming for you, baby. Come on. I know you’re losing sleep, Dana.” It’s likely Paul’s making all the moves to give his team a head start as the new year approaches.
With three months remaining in 2026, fans can expect Paul to take more drastic measures that will continue to raise eyebrows in the combat sports world.