PFL CEO John Martin resigns nearly 2 months after merger with MVP

John Martin, who became chief executive officer of the Professional Fighters League barely a year ago and finalized a merger with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions less than two months ago, announced Tuesday that he is stepping down.

In a post on his Instagram page, Martin expressed support for Paul's manager and MVP partner Nakisa Bidarian in running the soon-to-be rebranded MVP MMA.

"Nakisa and I worked closely together to bring these companies together, and I believe he is the natural person to lead this next chapter," Martin wrote. "I'm grateful to the entire team and Board for their partnership, and I'll be cheering for MVP as both a former executive and a fan."

Martin, a former Turner LLC CEO and Time Warner chief financial officer, took over for Peter Murray as CEO of the PFL in July 2025, calling the job "truly a dream role for me." Martin's martial arts background includes earning a black belt in karate and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

The PFL, which airs on ESPN, announced the merger with MVP on July 30 and said the promotion expects to be rebranded as MVP MMA in January.

Since its founding in 2021, MVP has become a significant presence in boxing, particular women's bouts. The company expanded into MMA in May with a high-profile fight between long-retired legends Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, which Netflix reported drew an audience peaking at nearly 17 million viewers globally and 11.6 million in the United States. The latter number broke the U.S. record for MMA viewership.