Two Months After the MVP Merger, the PFL's CEO Hands Over the Keys

John Martin closed the merger between the Professional Fighters League and Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions less than two months ago. On Tuesday he said he's leaving.

His Instagram post didn't read like a bitter exit. Martin said he and Nakisa Bidarian, Paul's manager and MVP co-founder, worked closely to put the companies together, that Bidarian is the natural person to lead what comes next, and that he'll be cheering for MVP as a former executive and a fan.

Martin came from the media business, as a former Turner CEO and Time Warner CFO, and he took the PFL job in July 2025, replacing Peter Murray and calling it a dream role. He also knows the sport a little from the inside, with a karate black belt and a blue belt in jiu-jitsu.

The PFL, which airs on ESPN, announced the deal on July 30 and plans to become MVP MMA in January. MVP made its name in boxing, especially women's boxing, and jumped into MMA in May with Ronda Rousey against Gina Carano. Netflix said that fight peaked at nearly 17 million viewers worldwide and 11.6 million in the U.S., a U.S. record for MMA viewership.