The UFC might be in some serious trouble. Why? Well, because Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP, has now shed light on the revenue-sharing model behind their MVP MMA promotion. The Jake Paul-led company is set to host its first MMA card on May 16, headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, in Inglewood, California. And ahead of the event, Bidarian appeared in an interview with Ariel Helwani, where he took subtle jabs at the UFC.
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“Much higher than 50% to the fighters,” Bidarian revealed the revenue share for their fighters. “… Our objective is not to lose money, to obviously, make a little bit of money, but it’s really about putting the money back in the pocket of the fighters. They’re the ones risking their lives. They’re the ones that people are paying to see, and we feel like we’ve lived up to that to this point, and we’re going to continue to live up to that.”
Nakisa Bidarian discusses the revenue-sharing structure for @MostVpromotions’ debut MMA card: “[The revenue share] is much higher than 50% to the fighters. Our objective is not to lose money and obviously make a little bit of money, but it’s really about putting the money back Show more
The UFC famously doesn’t follow a revenue-sharing model. On average, their fighters receive less than 20% of the company’s revenue. While the biggest names in the promotion can command bigger paychecks, lesser names within the promotion often have to take a second job just to survive. This is even though the UFC generated approximately $1.5 billion in revenue, representing a 7% year-over-year increase.
Not to mention, in 2026, the UFC kicked off their $7.7 billion broadcast deal with Paramount. While the promotion has increased post-fight bonuses, the fighter pay has largely remained the same. Preliminary fighters often get $12K to show and $12K to win. However, fighters in the new MVP MMA card are making much more than that, regardless of where on the card they are fighting.
Previously, Ronda Rousey claimed that every fighter on her May 16 card is making at least $40K, with no show/win structure. Helwani asked Bidarian about the same.
Business partner of Jake Paul confirms $40k minimum pay
Speaking further in the interview, Bidarian took a deeper dive into the minimum pay structure for their MMA bouts moving forward. He revealed that his business partner, Jake Paul, had always intended to help fighters by eventually creating a fighters’ union.
“When I met Jake Paul the first time, when he was 22, he said, ‘I want to start a fighters union.’ And I said, ‘I’m not your guy, but I appreciate the sentiment,’ Bidarian revealed. “I think we’re looking at this event and anything we do going forward as MVP, as an independent entity, to have a minimum of $40,000 for fighters to fight in MMA.
“No, [it’s not for show/win]. That’s guaranteed,” Bidarian added. “And then every fighter has a performance bonus in addition to that. [And it] depends on the fighter.”
However, the exact amount of that bonus has not been disclosed yet. Bidarian stated that he still needs to discuss the matter with Jake Paul, adding that the details will be announced at the appropriate time. What he did confirm, though, is that performance bonuses on MVP MMA cards are guaranteed.
With all that in mind, it’s easy to see why the UFC could be facing serious competition, especially when the promotion’s newest rival is someone who has publicly clashed with them for years. On top of that, Jake Paul has also claimed that TKO Group, the parent company behind the UFC, blocked him from attending his brother Logan Paul’s WWE events.
And given Jake Paul’s history with the organization, who’s to say he won’t try to outpay the UFC and shake up the entire landscape of the sport?
