PFL CEO Says Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul MMA Fight Could Happen in 2027
PFL CEO John Martin believes a Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul MMA rematch could still become a 2027 headline, and he says the YouTuber-turned-boxer is treating that crossover as a real plan. Martin discussed the matchup Wednesday on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” offering the clearest executive-level update since Most Valuable Promotions merged with the Professional Fighters League.
The fight is not booked. Martin’s comments still matter because he is the CEO of the company that would stage it, and he is no longer talking about Paul’s MMA interest as a distant idea.
“Jake is very serious about doing MMA next year,” Martin said.
Paul has floated an MMA debut for years. He signed with the PFL in 2023, used his platform to promote the league, and still completed that relationship without ever competing under mixed martial arts rules.
That history changed at the end of July, when MVP and the PFL announced a merger that will operate under the MVP brand beginning in January 2027. Paul and co-founder Nakisa Bidarian are leading the combined company, with Martin remaining CEO.
Paul has already said he wants one more boxing appearance later this year before shifting to MMA in 2027. During the merger rollout, he also named Diaz as the opponent he wants for that cage debut.
The two already met in the ring on Aug. 5, 2023, at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Paul won a 10-round unanimous decision in Diaz’s professional boxing debut and dropped the Stockton veteran in the fifth round.
An MMA rematch would flip the skill-set question. Diaz is a 21-14 mixed martial artist, a Cesar Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt, and a former UFC title challenger with a career built on volume striking and submissions.
Paul is 12-2 as a professional boxer with seven knockouts. He has never fought under MMA rules.
Martin did not hide his interest in seeing that contrast play out.
“That’d be a lot of fun,” he said of a possible rematch under MMA rules.
Diaz has not publicly backed away from the idea. In early August, the 41-year-old answered Paul’s callout on X with a four-word message while tagging the MVP co-founder.
“Pull the f*ck up,” Diaz wrote.
That reply does not make the fight official. It does show Diaz is willing to entertain the matchup after a rough return to mixed martial arts.
Diaz last competed on May 16 at MVP MMA 1 inside Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Mike Perry battered him over two rounds before Diaz’s corner stopped the fight at the end of the second, ending his first MMA appearance since he submitted Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in September 2022.
Paul, 29, is coming off the most damaging night of his boxing career. Anthony Joshua knocked him out in the sixth round on Dec. 19, 2025, at Miami’s Kaseya Center, a loss that left Paul with a broken jaw and required surgery.
He has not fought since. His stated path remains a boxing return later in 2026, then MMA in 2027.
Martin also said Paul’s MMA conversations have already reached one of the sport’s original stars.
“Royce Gracie came to our New York event and they were talking about Royce training Jake,” Martin said.
That New York card was PFL’s July 31 event at UBS Arena in Elmont, which Paul attended one day after the merger announcement. Gracie’s involvement would be significant because Paul has previously said he has never completed a dedicated MMA training session, despite a high school wrestling background.
Bidarian offered a similar account earlier this month, telling the New York Post that talks with Gracie and his family had already covered Paul’s jiu-jitsu work. Bidarian said that once Paul commits to a decision, he approaches it professionally and goes all in.
A Gracie-led grappling education would target the most obvious gap in a potential Diaz fight. Diaz has spent two decades forcing opponents to wrestle, scramble, and survive on the mat, while Paul’s power punching remains the foundation of his combat sports career.
None of that makes Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul an announced bout. No date, weight class, or contract has been confirmed, and Paul still has a possible boxing comeback in front of him.
What has changed is the business around the fight. Diaz already appeared on an MVP MMA card this year, Paul is a co-founder of the company that will rebrand the PFL as MVP MMA in January, and the CEO who would help make the matchup says Paul is serious about competing next year.
If that timeline holds, the next test is not another interview. It is whether Paul actually begins the grappling work discussed with Gracie in New York, and whether MVP MMA can turn a long-running talking point into a signed 2027 fight.