Jake Paul is set to compete in mixed martial arts for the first time in 2023 after signing a multi-year contract with the Professional Fighters League, he told Kris Rhim of The New York Times.
Paul co-founded and will compete in a new division, known as Super Fight, with events on pay-per-view. He also received an equity share in the PFL as part of the deal.
In the Super Fight division, fighters will earn at least 50 percent of the pay-per-view revenue – a stark contrast to the UFC model in which fighters earn less than 20 percent of total revenue.
Since beginning his boxing career, the social media star has been a vocal critic of the UFC over fighter pay, often clashing with Dana White, the promotion’s president.
“This is about changing MMA, disrupting, innovating, and creating the next big league,” Paul said.
The 25-year-old plans to fight twice in 2023, though no dates have been decided upon.
However, Paul has an opponent in mind: Nate Diaz, who recently left the UFC and is now a free agent. Paul said he has offered Diaz a two-fight deal that would include a boxing match and then an MMA bout in the PFL four-to-six months later.
“I would beat Nate Diaz up in a MMA fight,” Paul said. “There’s nothing he could do. To me, I’ve always felt like I’ve jumped in the deep end, even in boxing, maybe besides, like, Ben Askren.”
Paul is 6-0 as a boxer, most recently beating former UFC champion Anderson Silva. He also owns two wins over Tyron Woodley, another ex-UFC titleholder.
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