MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS AND PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE MERGE TO CREATE A NEW GLOBAL COMBAT SPORTS PLATFORM POWERHOUSE

 

Press Release: July 30, 2026 By Most Valuable Promotions - he combined company will operate under the MVP banner, bringing together world-class boxing, MMA, live events, athlete development, and worldwide content distribution under one fighter-first organization, creating a combat sports company for the new era. 

The new company will be led by Co-Founders and Board Members Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, with John Martin serving as CEO and Board Member. Bidarian will continue to oversee MVP's boxing business and blockbuster live events (BLE), with the company backed by Founding Investors 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital Management

Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and the Professional Fighters League (PFL) today announced a landmark merger, creating a new home of combat sports under the MVP banner. The transaction accelerates MVP’s expansion into mixed martial arts following the record-setting success of MVP MMA 1 and creates a global sports and entertainment company that brings together boxing, MMA, media, blockbuster live events, athlete development, and worldwide content distribution. MVP will continue operating with a fighter-first philosophy focused on equitable compensation, maximum visibility, and opportunities for athletes to build their brands both inside and outside of competition. 

PFL CEO John Martin will serve as CEO and board member, and lead the overall business of the combined company. Martin is one of the most accomplished media, sports, and entertainment executives in the industry, having previously served as Chairman and CEO of Turner, where he oversaw a portfolio including TNT, TBS, CNN, and Turner Sports, and as Chief Financial Officer of Time Warner. Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian will be co-founders and board members and continue to play active leadership roles across the business. Bidarian will continue to drive MVP’s boxing verticals and BLEs, and work closely with Martin and the executi

ve team. Paul, the world’s most-followed combat sports promoter, will continue leveraging his platform, audience, and cultural influence to drive audience growth, fighter development, brand expansion, and fan engagement across all areas of the business. 

As part of the transaction, existing PFL shareholders 885 Capital and affiliated entities of Knighthead Capital Management, LLC ("Knighthead Capital") are becoming Founding Investors of the new entity, committing new capital and ensuring the combined company launches with the strongest balance sheet in its history. 885 Capital’s Sudeep Ramnani and Jai Mahtani are global technology and sports entrepreneurs and investors, bringing their cutting-edge, international operating insight to the business. Ara Cohen is a co-founder of Knighthead Capital, a diversified institutional investment firm with extensive experience partnering with management teams to build and scale businesses over the long term, providing strategic capital and operational support across complex industries, including in sport. 

MVP will be the master brand for all combat sports properties of the new entity. MVP and MVPW will continue as BLE and boxing cornerstones of the company.

PFL has an elite MMA fighter roster, global league operations and infrastructure, media assets and proven ability to stage world class MMA events across the world. This will form the foundation of MVP MMA with the migration being fully completed in the coming mont

hs. The combined company will host five premium live events across boxing and MMA in August, demonstrating the scale and capabilities of th

e new platform. 

Together, MVP will feature nearly 400 elite athletes, including world champions, title contenders, and many of the biggest names across combat sports.  The company intends to invest aggressively in both boxing and MMA.

MVP and PFL will maintain relationships with many of the world's leading media and distribution partners, including Netflix, ESPN, Sky Sports, and PFL's extensive network of 34 partners across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other key territories, including Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand. Together, these relationships form one of the most comprehensive distribution platforms in combat sports.

Since launching in 2021, MVP has become one of the fastest-growing and most influential brands in sports, staging some of the most-watched events the sport has ever seen and reaching hundreds of millions of fans around the world, with particular strength among hard-to-reach Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and women's sports fans. The company has delivered the most-streamed sporting event of all time, the most-viewed professional women's sporting match in U.S. history, the most-streamed MMA event in U.S. history, and record-setting compensation for female athletes across all sports. Through partnerships with Netflix, ESPN, Sky Sports, DAZN, and other leading media companies, MVP has built an internationally recognized brand and established itself as a leader in athlete-first promotion, content creation, and fan engagement.

PFL has built one of the most expansive global platforms in MMA, with a world-class roster of more than 300 fighters representing over 40 countries and a live event footprint spanning four continents. In just over seven years, PFL has staged more than 100 premium live events across 14 countries and was the first organization to hold major MMA events in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Spain and across Africa. In 2026 alone, PFL will produce 24 events across 11 countries, delivering approximately 150 hours of live content to fans. This global infrastructure, combined with PFL's deep fighter roster, premium live event expertise and worldwide distribution, provides a powerful platform to accelerate the growth of MVP MMA and expand the combined company's reach and impact around the world.

Nakisa Bidarian, Co-founder and Board Member of Most Valuable Promotions, said:

“Since launching MVP, our goal has always been bigger than just building a boxing promotion. It has been to build the future of combat sports. In less than five years, MVP has become one of the most influential and culturally relevant brands in the industry, producing some of the biggest events in combat sports history, elevating women’s boxing to unprecedented heights, and bringing millions of new fans into the fight game. The success of MVP MMA’s first event confirmed our belief that there is enormous demand for a modern, fighter-first approach to MMA. This merger accelerates our MMA ambitions while strengthening our ability to continue investing in boxing and MVPW. By combining MVP’s audience-building engine, storytelling capabilities, and brand with PFL’s roster, infrastructure, and international footprint, we are creating a new global home for combat sports. Under the leadership of John Martin, a world-class media executive with deep MMA knowledge, and investment from leading financiers 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital, MVP is going to achieve great things for fighters, fans, and partners.”

John Martin, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of the new company, said:

“Over the past seven years, PFL has built the world’s No. 2 global MMA company, assembling one of the sport’s most elite fighter rosters while creating a world-class global business with premier media distribution across 34 broadcast and streaming partners, reaching fans in more than 170 countries. At the same time, MVP has redefined how combat sports connects with a new generation of fans,

creating events that become cultural moments and proving that athletes, sports, entertainment and creators can all thrive together.  This merger brings scale - in operations, in distribution and media rights, in sponsorship, in fighter development and in fan engagement. 

We're not just combining companies, we're bringing an entire combat sports community together and creating a more powerful platform to accelerate growth. One company, one global stage, millions of fans and we're only just getting started. I'm excited to work with Jake and Nakisa as we build the future of combat sports together, and I'm deeply grateful for the continued confidence and support of our lead investors, 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital Management.”

Jake Paul, Co-founder and Board Member

of Most Valuable Promotions

, said:

"W

e started MVP to disrupt a broken model. We wanted to give fighters fair pay and a bigger, modernized s

tage to become global superstars. Joining forces with PFL accelerates that vision by a decade. We now have a scaled platform to give today's fans what they want: elite talent mixed with culture, lifestyle, and massive social velocity. MVP was always bigger than me and bigger than any one fighter. MVP is an inevitable movement that needs to happen for the athletes, and now we have all the resources we need to build something that changes this sport forever. I have more conviction in MVP than ever, driven by the proliferation of AI, which will only increase the value of real, live experiences and the sports properties that can bring fans closer to the athletes they love. I look forward to putting my entire promotional muscle into our new company, returning to the boxing ring and making my MVP MMA debut. To all current MVP and PFL fighters, things just got bigger. To fighters fighting in other organizations, we are open for business when you are contractually free. The time for change is now. Welcome to MVP."

Sudeep Ramnani, co-founder of 885 Capital, said:

“We’ve spent our careers building and backing businesses across global markets and few things travel across every border, language, and generation like combat sports. Partnering with Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and John Martin to bring PFL’s international infrastructure and roster together with MVP’s audience engine builds a business with the scale, talent, and distribution to lead the category. It reaches fans from the most established markets to the fastest-growing regions in the world, with a fighter-first model built for how audiences consume sport today. At 885 Capital, we back founders and leaders who are building industries from first principles, and we believe this platform will do exactly that, while redefining the future of combat sports. As founding investors, we’re proud to commit new capital to help John Martin and the team build the premier global platform for fighters and fans.”

Ara Cohen, Co-Founder and Managing Member of Knighthead Capital said:

“This transaction brings together highly complementary assets to create a scaled global combat sports platform with significant long-term growth potential. MVP has demonstrated an exceptional ability to build audiences, create cultural relevance, and elevate athletes, while PFL has built world-class MMA operations, international reach, and a deep roster of talent. We are pleased to deepen Knighthead Capital’s investment and support John Martin, Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and the broader leadership team as they build what we believe can become one of the premier global sports media and entertainment platforms.”

Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal counsel to Most Valuable Promotions, with MVP’s Rick Torres leading the transaction. Cooley LLP served as legal counsel to the Professional Fighters League, with PFL’s Jim Bramson leading the transaction. 

Additional leadership, organizational, and operational details will be announced at a later date. For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) is a global combat sports and entertainment company built for the next generation of athletes and fans. The company operates across boxing, mixed martial arts, live events, media, content, athlete development, and global distribution, with a fighter-first philosophy centered on equitable compensation, maximum visibility, and long-term brand building.

Led by co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian and Chief Executive Officer John Martin and backed by founding investors 885 Capital & Knighthead, MVP promotes some of the world's biggest combat sports events and represents a roster of nearly 400 elite athletes, including world champions, titleholders, contenders, and emerging stars. MVP's portfolio includes MVP, MVPW, and MVP MMA, bringing together premier boxing and mixed martial arts properties under one global brand.

Through partnerships with leading media and distribution platforms including Netflix, ESPN, Sky Sports, and an extensive international network reaching fans across more than 170 countries, MVP delivers world-class competition and entertainment to audiences worldwide. By combining elite athletes, premium live events, compelling storytelling, and global media reach, MVP is building the future of combat sports.

About 885 Capital

885 Capital is a UAE-based investment firm founded by Sudeep Ramnani and Jai Mahtani. The firm focuses on innovative, founder-led businesses shaping the global sports and technology industries, in addition to diversifying into cutting-edge real estate projects and other future-defining sectors. In sports, 885 Capital has backed innovative sports properties including Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) / Professional Fighters League (PFL) in combat sports and Baller League in six-a-side football, and is the

owner of Madrid-based football club C.D. Leganés. The firm is guided by a long-term, conviction-driven approach.

About Knighthead Capital Management, LLC (Knighthead Capital)

Knighthead Capital Management, LLC (Knighthead Capital) was co-founded in 2008 by Tom Wagner and Ara Cohen and has grown to become a diversified asset management platform with an experienced team of investment professionals, specializing in fundamental analysis, operational and financial turnarounds and risk management. Knighthead Capital’s long-term objective is to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for its clients while emphasizing the preservation of capital. Knighthead Capital manages assets across a variety of investment vehicles including insurance asset management, real estate lending, and closed and open-ended vehicles.

In sports,

Knighthead Capital’s

holdings include investments in English football club Birmingham City, NASCAR franchise Legacy Motor Club and cricket’s Birmingham Phoenix competing in The Hundred

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Chris Billam-Smith Stops Rozicki In Cruiserweight Brawl

The latest installment of the Zuffa Boxing series saw the new promotion leave the confines of the Meta Apex, a venue that the promotion under the TKO Group banner has established as its home base, and staged its first international event at the Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth, England where former WBO World Cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith squared off against top Cruiserweight contender Ryan Rozicki in an encounter that was highly anticipated due to both fighters having fan-friendly styles. Although there are times where for whatever reason, what appears to be an intriguing battle on paper does not materialize once two fighters enter the ring to do battle, this was not one of them. 

In this case, you had two fighters who not only had demonstrated a willingness to get in and mix it up with their previous opposition, but they showed no reluctance to engage with each other, despite being well aware of the other's reputation as having punching power and being more than willing to trade punch for punch. Often, regardless of where a fight occurs in terms of division, those are the best types of fights one can observe. This was one that would not disappoint.

There was no feeling out process here in this fight as both Billam-Smith and Rozicki established what can only be described as a high or suffocating pace where neither fighter had much room to breathe as the action was fought in close seemingly from the opening seconds of the bout. It was a pace that seemed largely initiated by Rozicki, but it was one where he appeared overly aggressive as he was warned for headbutting Billam-Smith in the opening round, something that would lead to a point deduction in round two when Rozicki was admonished for headbutting for a second time, and was cut over the left eye from punches thrown by Billam-Smith in response to such aggression in the first round. 

Whether the instances of Rozicki headbutting were a case of intentional illegal tactics or merely a fighter in the midst of his aggression, allowing that aggression to take over where he has a mental lapse, is a subject to debate at a later time, but the pace he largely initiated made it clear early that this was a fight that was not likely to go the distance. To borrow a quote from the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard who uttered “There's Been No Boxing At All, Just Fighting Here,” as he served in the capacity of an expert commentator for the now defunct HBO Sports during a delayed broadcast of the legendary World Middleweight championship fight between the late great champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns in April 1985, such a quote could easily be used to describe this battle though obviously not as a direct comparison.

Just as the pace began to slow ever slightly in round three, as Rozicki continued to plot forward, Billam-Smith landed a perfectly timed straight right hand that frankly, would have ended the night for most fighters, that landed flush on the jaw of Rozicki. Somehow, miraculously, Rozicki was able to stay on his feet, albeit legitimately staggered, and kept coming forward. 

As fatigue naturally began to show itself and the pace even by the slightest of margins slowed, the fight continued to be fought largely on the inside, and the two fighters continued to exchange heavy shots in close range. Rozicki’s granite chin would once again be on display in round six as Billam-Smith unleashed a brutal barrage of hooks to the head with both hands that landed flush, yet somehow to the astonishment of this observer, Rozicki managed to stay on his feet. The grueling battle between two warriors continued into the seventh round and Billam-Smith capped off what proved to be the climatic final blows, a combination of hooks to the head in the final seconds of the round. It was at the conclusion of round seven that Rozicki’s corner made the decision to stop the fight bringing an end to what will likely be a Fight of the Year candidate when 2026 has concluded.

In terms of what comes next, we are in an interesting time in the sport where Zuffa as a promotion appears intent on naming their own world  championships under a proposed Unified Boxing Organization format, which would in theory bring the model of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to the sport of Boxing. It remains unclear as to whether the promotion will also do business under Boxing’s existing structure, meaning with independent sanctioning organizations. With regard to the Cruiserweight division, the recent bout between Jai Opetaia, the IBF World Cruiserweight champion and top contender Brandon Glanton, originally thought to be for the IBF world championship, was changed in the prelude to that fight as the IBF stripped Opetaia, who also holds recognition as World Cruiserweight champion recognized by Ring Magazine due to their claim that they were not contacted by Zuffa and thus refused to sanction the fight for its version of the World Cruiserweight championship. As most know, Opetaia defeated Glanton via twelve round unanimous decision for the newly created Zuffa Boxing World Cruiserweight championship.

What makes this noteworthy is both Billam-Smith and Opetaia are now competing under the Zuffa Boxing banner and it would appear that the plan from a Zuffa perspective would be to match Opetaia and Billam-Smith against each other in a theoretically more streamlined way as compared to the conventional structure of professional Boxing in what would obviously be used to point out the benefit of the proposed Unified Boxing Organization format.

While it remains to be seen if such a format as well as proposed changes to existing legislation under the Muhammad Ali Act ultimately proves to be beneficial for the sport long-term. If fights like this, however, are put together more quickly while public interest is high, regardless of the broader implications for the sport long-term, it should be viewed as a positive. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Anthony Joshua Makes A Statement In Knocking Out Ngannou

The Heavyweight fight between two-time World Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and former UFC Heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou was a spectacle that was right in line with several of what this observer refers to as “Novelty" fights featuring either the top stars of the sports of Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) or celebrities from other realms that for one reason or another decide to enter Combat Sports. What made this particular encounter different was the fact that Francis Ngannou had proven in his previous foray into Boxing that he had the potential to transition to a career as a professional boxer in October of last year in putting forth an impressive showing against undefeated current WBC Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury.

Not only did Ngannou score a shocking knockdown of Fury, a two-time world champion, who was expected to outclass Ngannou primarily based on the significant experience gap between the two, but by the time the fight was over, Ngannou had succeeded in turning many skeptics into believers in dropping what was seen as a controversial ten round split decision that many, this observer included, felt he deserved the victory. It was off of that performance that the term “Novelty" was removed regarding Ngannou and the question of how he would do in his next fight in the Boxing ring began to stir and over the ensuing months gained more and more buzz.

Although he would have been justified to seek what some might call lesser opposition, if nothing else, as a means of gaining more experience in what was and is a new sport for him, Ngannou chose to face another proven commodity in the form of former two-time Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua on March 8th in the same location as his bout with Fury, The Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Even though there was no world title at stake in this fight, the atmosphere was one that some Boxing fans might associate with some of the major Boxing events that have taken place in Las Vegas.

Despite his impressive showing against an under-prepared champion, who underestimated him, Ngannou faced a similar challenge in this fight in going against a two-time world champion, who is still a top contender and one might even say had a higher overall pedigree than Fury. It was also worth noting, despite suffering some setbacks in his career, Anthony Joshua has always been a well-conditioned fighter who was not likely to make a similar error in treating his bout with Ngannou with a seemingly “Kid Gloves" approach as Furry did.

Joshua made it a definite that this would be a different flight and it took only a short time for him to show that he did take Ngannou seriously and prepared accordingly. The approach Joshua implemented in this fight was one of fundamentals and patience. Upon the opening bell, the former two-time Heavyweight world champion established that he would vary his approach of Ngannou by looking to land jabs to the body as well as changing levels and looking to maintain distance between himself and the former UFC Heavyweight world champion.

As he had done last October in his fight against Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou attempted to land hooks and tried to set up opportunities for himself to counter Joshua. The primary difference between Joshua and Fury however, was one fighter had a lackadaisical approach, was not disciplined, and left opens that frankly made him look amateurish that Ngannou was able to exploit to a certain degree. Joshua's approach meanwhile had discipline at its core, and Ngannou was not able to take advantage of openings because there were not as many opportunities as there were when he fought Fury. Joshua was also defensively responsible in doing what he could to try and avoid the majority of wide hooks thrown by Ngannou, which were mostly blocked or deflected by Joshua's gloves and defensive guard.

The patience Joshua showed in simply biding his time and waiting for an opening came late in the first round when he dropped Ngannou hard with a perfectly timed and beautifully thrown straight right hand down the middle, which hit Ngannou flush on the chin and sent him down to the canvas. Despite being dropped, to his credit, Ngannou was able to get up from the knockdown and did connect with a hook to the head of Joshua before the round was over.

Nevertheless, a point had been proven in the opening round that unlike Fury, the still unbeaten holder of the WBC world championship in the Heavyweight division, Anthony Joshua took his assignment more seriously against Ngannou and was intent on making a statement in this fight. It would not be long before Joshua would accomplish what seemed to be a clear mission to send a message to not only Fury, not only Oleksandr Usuk, who ended his second reign as a world champion and retained his portion of the World Heavyweight championship over Joshua in a hotly contested rematch, but to the whole Heavyweight division.

As he had done in the first round, Joshua maintained his patience at the start of round two and did not recklessly approach Ngannou in trying to force a finish to the fight. A change for Joshua who has been susceptible to being caught when he has gotten overly aggressive in the past. This time, he simply waited for his opportunity. When the opportunity arose, Joshua dropped Ngannou for the second time with a right hook to the jaw. Although he was clearly stunned and had a look on his face that indicated that he did not know what hit him, Ngannou showed his heart by once again getting up from the knockdown. Joshua, one of the most devastating finishers in the sport, quickly walked across the ring and ended matters by decking Ngannou with a brutal straight right hand that momentarily knocked Ngannou out cold. The fight was over.

As brutal and infatic as Joshua's knockout of Francis Ngannou was in only taking a round and a half to end the night for a fighter who may still go on to be a player in the division if he chooses to remain in Boxing, the reality is, this is what Anthony Joshua as a world-class boxer, who is a two-time world champion should have been expected to do against a fighter in Ngannou, who only had one professional fight as a boxer. If one is being honest, they would also say that the same was expected of Tyson Fury, a man who is still atop the division, despite turning in what frankly should be viewed as an embarrassing performance as well as questionable scoring, which allowed him to remain unbeaten when he fought Ngannou.

While this does not take anything away from Francis Ngannou, ultimately, another point was proven in this fight that has been proven several times when Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters step into a Boxing ring against boxers who are primarily trained for Boxing, and when boxers choose to venture into an MMA ring or cage. Not only are Boxing and MMA two different sports and should be viewed as such, despite Boxing being a martial art/discipline, but also regardless of whether it is a Boxing ring or under an MMA format, a fighter venturing into a sport that is not their primary discipline in which they compete. will be at a competitive disadvantage both in terms of experience as well as overall skill compared to an opponent that primarily competes in that sport most of the time.

Francis Ngannou deserves all the credit in the world for rolling the dice and venturing into a different sport in the middle of his competitive prime. It is something that takes guts and one should also not underestimate the learning curve that is involved for a fighter switching sports at an advanced age. While we live in a time where anyone, regardless of background or credibility can share their point of view and are likely voicing opinions that may mock him based on the end result of this fight, the fact is Francis Ngannou has stepped in the ring with two of the best Heavyweight boxers in the world in his two fights as a professional boxer. Although he has yet to score an official victory, credit should be given where it is due. 

While there will also likely be calls for him to return to MMA, Ngannou still has value in Boxing and will likely still be able to secure significant paydays off of his name value. What this knockout loss should show him however, is he needs time to polish and refine his Boxing skills. No different than any other fighter just starting in the sport. If he remains committed to Boxing, gives himself adequate time to learn and is able to face opponents that one would expect to face as they develop, who range from just starting their careers to those fighters with some experience that can serve as helping a fighter in their development/learning process, and if he is able to develop under the guidance of experienced Boxing trainers, Francis Ngannou could still end up being a player in the Heavyweight division.

As is being learned by the various YouTubers/Influencers and others that venture into Boxing from other realms, very seldom is one able to start their career at the very top and succeed. Some may choose to try and take shortcuts, but ultimately the process of learning the fundamentals of the sport, polishing and refining one’s skills, which will always be a work in progress even for those at the very top of the sport, as well as a fundamental understanding of how the sport is structured, needs to be respected. Francis Ngannou has nothing to be ashamed of. If he is truly committed to Boxing and is willing to take the time required to go through the aforementioned learning process that the sport demands, his knockout at the hands of Anthony Joshua will be a chapter of his career as a boxer, not the end of the story.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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Paul-Fury: What We Learned

The question that this observer asked in the days prior to the scheduled Cruiserweight encounter between unbeaten hopefuls Jake Paul and Tommy Fury was whether the third attempt to get the two to face off in the ring would finally result in an actual fight between the two. While I did little to hide my cynicism in asking that question, it was fair to ask after two previous cancellations and a lot of grandstanding between the two and their respective teams that can be described in a single word. “Nonsense.” After those cancellations and endless verbal exchanges between the two, it finally culminated in two men, each very much trying to prove themselves as boxers meeting in a Boxing ring in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the skepticism and cynicism of yours truly prior to the scheduled bout on February 26th, what resulted when it was time for the two men to do battle turned out to be a pleasant surprise. What was surprising? After all the “Nonsense,” the Boxing world was actually treated to a competitive fight. Although if one is objective they would say that both Paul and Fury were at a similar stage in their respective forays in the sport in neither having faced a prospect going into the bout, the difference in experience was apparent from the opening bell in that Tommy Fury’s background in Boxing as a primary discipline showed itself almost immediately.

One thing that stood out that Fury was able to do that previous opponents Jake Paul had faced, who predominantly came from the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), was he used his jab as a primary weapon. Fury’s jab accomplished two things. The first was obviously being able to hit Paul with it as well as being able to use it to both control distance and set up other offensive opportunities and combinations. Secondly, Fury’s use of the jab allowed him to both set the tempo of the combat as well as to be first with his punches. The combination of these aspects did not allow Paul to get into a rhythm and also exposed inexperience in terms of knowing how to deal with a crafty boxer.

Although Paul had established punching power in his previous fights, particularly with his right hand, he appeared dependent on landing it in this fight, appeared to telegraph his punches, and did not appear to know how to set up his offense from a technical as well as tactical standpoint. An additional aspect that was missing from Paul’s approach that can be attributed to inexperience is he also did not seem to know how to try and cut the ring off from Fury, which may have limited Fury’s ability to move. Despite the bout being fought in an eighteen foot ring, smaller than a traditional 20x20 ring, which seemed to favor Paul as the power puncher, Fury did not seem bothered by the smaller ring and continued to get his punches off first. What also added to the difficulty for Paul from a defensive standpoint is he did not move his head as Fury threw his jabs and eventual combinations. This resulted in Paul being hit much more frequently than had been the case in his previous fights.

To Paul’s credit however, he took the punches Fury dished out and kept coming forward, which if one is objective you should respect it as he proved he can take a punch and that is something that all boxers regardless of how they enter the sport eventually have to prove. Despite his inexperience, Paul did hang in there and did manage to land power punches as the fight progressed even though he could not take control of the tempo of the combat. As Tommy Fury also had questions regarding his ability to take a punch, he was also able to show an ability to take punches when Paul was able to connect.

Although I felt that Fury was ahead as the fight progressed due largely to his ability to out box Paul, both fighters would be penalized a point for rough housing while in clinches and Paul was able to connect with a short jab at the beginning of the eighth and final round, which knocked Fury to the canvas. While this was the definition of what is often referred to in the sport as a  “Flash Knockdown” in that Fury was caught off balance and subsequently went down, despite not appearing to be hurt, his gloves nevertheless did touch the canvas and it was thus a clean knockdown.

The two point deductions, plus the knockdown against Fury in the final round did complicate things slightly in terms of the scoring of the fight at the conclusion of the eight round bout. Unofficially, I arrived at a score of 76-73 in favor of Fury having scored the eighth round 10-9 in favor of Paul. While rounds in which a knockdown is scored is usually scored 10-8 in favor of the fighter that scored the knockdown, there are instances where a round can be scored 10-9. This was such an instance where the knockdown of Fury occurred in the early seconds of the final round and he was able to get up and arguably win the remainder of the round, thus resulting in a 10-9 score from yours truly, but it is subjective and often boils down to a judge’s discretion. Coincidentally, my final score of 76-73 in favor of Fury ended up being the same as two of the three official judges, which resulted in Fury winning a split decision.

Although I am curious to know how the three judges scored that eighth round, which due to each fighter previously being penalized a point, turned out to be crucial in terms of the scoring of this fight, I felt Fury simply did too much over the course of the fight to not get the decision. Paul did seem to land the harder punches when he was able to land on Fury, and this in addition to the knockdown he was able to score is what likely resulted in one official judges giving him the nod by a single point 75-74. From my perspective, Paul was not able to do enough over the course of the fight and that is ultimately what led to how I saw the fight in terms of scoring.

As for what will come from this fight, Tommy Fury will supposedly earn a ranking in the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) Cruiserweight ratings. Where exactly Fury will be placed is not known, but there is also a possibility of a rematch between he and Paul as Paul does have a rematch clause. For Jake Paul, if he were to exercise that clause, he will need to go back and not only study this fight thoroughly, but he will also need to make adjustments particularly with regard to learning head movement and defense if he wants to be successful in a potential rematch.

Ultimately, what we learned from this fight is that both Jake Paul and Tommy Fury were indeed serious and it turned out to be a better fight than many had expected. What should also be learned here is if one truly wants to be a boxer, they will need experience against those who have backgrounds in the sport if they want to succeed and there is only so far one will go by choosing to face those who do not have backgrounds in Boxing. While what is now referred to as “Crossover Boxing,” or “Influencer Boxing” where those who come into the sport from other realms will face fellow celebrities and or other combat sports veterans with either limited or no Boxing experience will likely continue as long as it appeals to the casual fan, at the end of the day, the standard of the sport of Boxing needs to be respected as well as the obvious dangers the sport also poses to one’s health. It is not something that can be treated with kid gloves.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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