Bidarian Says 50% Revenue Share Creates Massive Value

MVP head Nakisa Bidarian believes giving fighters half of revenue generates long-term business value that the UFC cannot match.

Speaking to Bloomberg after the merger between Most Valuable Promotions and the Professional Fighters League, Bidarian outlined a compensation model that sits in stark contrast to the UFC's reported 13 to 20 percent fighter share. "The focus has always been to at least provide 50% of revenue to athletes," he said, per MMA Mania. "When you look at the traditional ball and stick sports that achieve those types of revenue share metrics for the athletes … all of those entities have created massive amounts of enterprise value."

Why MVP Can Afford What UFC Cannot

Bidarian, who served as the UFC's chief financial officer and chief strategy officer before launching MVP with Jake Paul, said staying private gives the promotion financial flexibility that a public entity lacks. He acknowledged the UFC cannot pivot to a 50 percent model without crushing margins and enterprise value. MVP announced the PFL merger earlier this week, absorbing the promotion's roster and infrastructure while rebranding under the MVP MMA banner following May's Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano event.

The combined entity faces the challenge of luring top talent from UFC deals that remain restrictive even when fighters cannot secure their preferred bouts. Bidarian said the new structure allows MVP to be aggressive in talent acquisition, though the official merger does not take effect until early 2027.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — MVP head Nakisa Bidarian sees ‘massive enterprise value’ in paying fighters 50 percent of revenue