Jake Paul's MMA Debut Could Break All Viewership Records

Jake Paul appears poised to make the leap from boxing to mixed martial arts, and the move could rewrite the record books for combat sports viewership.

Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP Promotions and business partner to Paul, delivered a striking forecast during a conversation with Babcock about The Problem Child's upcoming fight plans. The executive expressed absolute confidence that Paul's cage debut would eclipse every MMA event in history.

"Jake definitely wants to do MMA," Bidarian told TMZ.com. "And I will say here on this show with you today that when Jake Paul enters the cage, our Hexagon, it will be the most viewed MMA match in history. I have no doubt about that."

The prediction carries weight given Paul's proven ability to draw massive audiences. His 2024 boxing match against Mike Tyson attracted more than 108 million viewers worldwide, demonstrating his unique capacity to transcend traditional combat sports demographics.

Bidarian identified Nate Diaz as the ideal opponent for Paul's MMA venture. However, the Stockton fighter has more immediate business to handle. Diaz is currently focused on a rematch with Mike Perry, a bout that MVP Promotions fully supports, according to Bidarian.

"Hopefully, yeah, Jake and Nate would be unbelievable," Bidarian told TMZ.com when discussing the potential matchup following Diaz's bout with Perry.

The announcement comes as MVP Promotions undergoes significant expansion. The organization recently announced a merger with PFL that will create MVP MMA, positioning the company to compete at the highest levels of mixed martial arts promotion.

Meanwhile, MVP continues its boxing operations with a major event scheduled for Saturday night on ESPN. The card features a main event between Cherneka Johnson and Dina Thorslund, demonstrating the promotional company's ability to operate across multiple combat sports simultaneously.

Paul has established himself as one of the most polarizing and commercially successful figures in combat sports. His transition from social media influencer to legitimate boxing competitor has defied skeptics, and an MMA debut would represent his most ambitious athletic challenge yet. Whether Bidarian's viewership prediction proves accurate will depend on timing, opponent selection, and the continued growth of Paul's crossover appeal.