Jake Paul officially calls out first opponent after blockbuster MVP announcement

Jake Paul has officially called out his first opponent after his company, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), announced they were merging with the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

On Thursday, it was revealed that MVP had struck a colossal deal with PFL to bring together both boxing and MMA events under one banner.

Paul launched MVP alongside his business partner Nakisa Bidarian in 2021, and the company has gone from strength to strength, with this merger potentially revolutionising combat sports and rivaling the UFC.

Back in May, MVP held its first-ever MMA event with former UFC legends Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano clashing in the main card.

Held at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, the action was broadcast live on Netflix with an average audience of 9.3 million and broke the US viewership record, with 11 million tuning in.

In comparison, the UFC's White House card averaged 8.2 million viewers across the US and Latin America, showcasing the power of Netflix and the incredible potential this merger has.

As part of the move, MVP will now have more than 300 fighters on its roster, including Rousey, Francis Ngannou, Mike Perry and Nate Diaz, who all fought on the MVP event in May.

"We started MVP to disrupt a broken model," Paul said when speaking about the decision to strike a deal with PFL.

"We wanted to give fighters fair pay and a bigger, modernized stage to become global superstars. Joining forces with PFL accelerates that vision by a decade.

"We now have a scaled platform to give today's fans what they want: elite talent mixed with culture, lifestyle, and massive social velocity."

Jake Paul calls out Nate Diaz for first MMA fight

At the start of the year, Paul's contract with PFL came to an end after joining in January 2023 and agreeing to compete in MMA.

Although the 29-year-old failed to make his MMA debut, he has already assured fans that his first appearance in the octagon will happen at some point in 2027.

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Unsurprisingly, the 'Problem Child' is already weighing up some possible opponents, calling out Nate Diaz in a video on his YouTube channel.

"I've been talking about MMA and doing it for a long time, but it's official," Paul said.

"Now with this new partnership, I'm going to get into the cage. Nate Diaz, stop ducking. We need to make this happen for sports, to change the world, to change the history, and the landscape of combat sports forever.

"But don't worry, I am still boxing. Everyone's asking me, 'Jake, when are you coming back?' And it is as soon as possible.

"We are in contract talks and negotiations with multiple opponents, so it's time to box, and then kick Nate Diaz's ass in MMA."

When Paul initially signed his multi-year deal with the PFL three years ago, it was agreed that he would box Diaz and then the pair would face off in MMA.

Paul outboxed Diaz when the pair met in August 2023, dropping him in the fifth round and winning via unanimous decision. Now, a showdown in the octagon is potentially on the cards.

However, the 41-year-old did already turn down an opportunity to fight the YouTuber-turned-boxer in MMA for a whopping $15 million in the summer of 2024, so it remains to be seen whether he avoids him again.