John Martin Steps Down as PFL-MVP CEO, Backs Nakisa Bidarian

The PFL just lost the man who ran the show for barely over a year. John Martin announced Tuesday that he's stepping down as CEO of the combined PFL-MVP operation, a role he'd held since July 2025. In the same statement he threw his weight behind Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian as his replacement.

This is the third significant leadership change at the promotion in a short window. Martin took over after previous CEO Peter Murray left, an exit that also saw chairman Donn Davis walk out the door. Now Martin's own tenure ends before the merged company he helped build even reaches its planned 2027 event rebrand.

Martin's résumé doesn't scream MMA lifer. Before landing at the PFL he was CEO of Turner Entertainment, and earlier served as chief financial and administrative officer at Time Warner. In his farewell note he said he was proud of the year the team put together and considers Bidarian the natural choice to steer the next chapter, adding that he'll be watching as both a former executive and a fan.

The MVP Factor

The merger that reshaped all of this was announced back in August 2025, folding Bidarian and Jake Paul's MVP brand into the PFL's structure. When it first landed, Martin didn't hide his enthusiasm. He said he had zero apprehension about the deal, and that Bidarian actually reached out to him first — though Martin claimed he was already planning to make the call himself after MVP's May 16 event.

His logic was straightforward. Martin identified two things the PFL needed to fix: more attention on its athletes and better U.S. distribution. His pitch was that MVP simply grabs eyeballs better than the PFL ever managed, largely thanks to Paul. Martin called Paul a unicorn — a fighter, promoter and content creator rolled into one — and admitted that five years ago he'd have bet against the YouTuber ever disrupting boxing.

The stated vision for the combined outfit is a home where athletes can box, fight MMA, or chase crossover bouts under one roof. Whether Bidarian can deliver on that with Martin gone is the open question. The rebrand timeline stays pointed at 2027, so there's runway to figure it out — but leadership churn this deep, this early, isn't the kind of stability a young merger usually wants.