John Martin, PFL New York Post-Fight Scrum Credit: Dylan Napoleone/Pat Danna/Cageside Press
With the PFL merging into MVP (the promotion will move forward under the Most Valuable Promotions banner starting in 2027), it seemed like it was smooth sailing ahead for the Professional Fighters League.
However, on Tuesday, PFL CEO John Martin, who has helped the brand have a bit of a resurgence over the past year, announced he was stepping down from his role.
On his personal social media, Martin issued a statement, saying that he would cheer on the MVP brand both as a former exec and as a fan.
“After an incredible year and the successful combination of PFL and MVP, I’ve made the decision to step down as CEO of the combined company,” Martin wrote. “I’m enormously proud of what this team has accomplished and couldn’t have more confidence in what comes next. Nakisa and I worked closely together to bring these companies together, and I believe he is the natural person to lead this next chapter.”
“I’m grateful to the entire team and Board for their partnership, and I’ll be cheering for MVP as both a former executive and a fan.”
Martin, a former Turner Broadcasting CEO, took over the reigns of the company as founder Donn Davis made his exit, along with a handful of other execs. Martin came off as someone deeply passionate about the sport, and within the past couple of days was still promoting the PFL product. It appears MVP will now move forward with Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul as the faces of the company.