On Saturday night, Jake Paul ventured into mixed martial arts (MMA) for the first time—not as a fighter, despite past hints, but as a promoter. This event also marked Netflix's inaugural foray into MMA. Paul's Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), co-run with Nakisa Bidarian, hosted the event at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, culminating in Ronda Rousey's return to the cage after a decade in professional wrestling and acting. Rousey faced fellow trailblazer Gina Carano, needing just 17 seconds to secure a signature armbar victory.
Can MVP Challenge the UFC?
With familiar names like Francis Ngannou, Nate Diaz, and Mike Perry also on the card, questions arise: Can MVP become a genuine alternative to the UFC, MMA's flagship brand? Does MVP even aim to compete directly? Let's examine Saturday's event and its implications.
Star Power
Today's UFC events rarely boast the cumulative star power of Rousey, Carano, Diaz, and Ngannou. Many fans perceive a decline in UFC card quality, especially since the merger with WWE under TKO. Even Conor McGregor's summer comeback announcement revealed a strong card, but lacking the overall star power of MVP MMA 1. McGregor remains the biggest draw, but the Rousey-Carano-Diaz-Ngannou lineup is formidable in its own right.
Match-Up Quality
On paper, MVP's debut suffered, but delivered pleasantly in reality. Rousey, 39, hadn't fought in 10 years, yet dominated Carano, 44, who hadn't fought in 17 years. Rousey's clinical technique was the best-case scenario; a longer fight might have exposed rust. Ngannou vs. Lins saw the former UFC champion knock out the PFL heavyweight champion, as expected. Diaz vs. Perry, however, offered frantic, fun action for two rounds before Diaz's scar tissue led to a stoppage. Contrast this with UFC 329, featuring well-matched bouts like Pimblett vs. Saint-Denis, Whittaker vs. Krylov, and others.
Presentation
The Inglewood show was slick, leveraging the Intuit Dome and Netflix's experience in live sports, including boxing events with Paul vs. Tyson and Joshua. The broadcast crew included MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, former UFC champ Tyron Woodley, commentator Kenny Florian, and ring announcer Kody "Big Mo" Mommaerts. Paul conducted post-fight interviews without overshadowing athletes, handling callouts from Perry and Ngannou well.
The Future
MVP spotlighted rising talent Salahdine Parnasse, showing efforts to build future stars. However, Bidarian indicated only a few MVP MMA events per year, focusing on big-time shows with star power to keep Netflix engaged. MVP is unlikely to become a weekly threat to the UFC soon, but it made a mark. UFC boss Dana White timed McGregor's comeback announcement during Ngannou's walkout, attempting to steal MVP's thunder. MVP has the UFC's attention and casual fans' interest, but whether it can attract hardcore fans consistently remains to be seen.
