Jake Paul approached Khabib Nurmagomedov backstage at PFL New York and attempted to persuade the retired champion to come out of retirement and fight for MVP MMA, the promotion formed through a merger with PFL. Nurmagomedov, who retired in 2020 following his title defense against Justin Gaethje, appeared unmoved by Paul's overtures. Paul has been aggressively courting fighters since the merger was announced, including offering new cars as part of negotiations.
Jake Paul made a public pitch to Khabib Nurmagomedov at a PFL New York event on August 5, urging the retired Russian legend to end his hiatus and compete under the MVP MMA banner, the promotion that emerged from PFL's high-profile merger.
Nurmagomedov, 37, retired in October 2020 with a perfect 29-0 record after defending his lightweight title, and he has shown little appetite for returning to competition in the years since. Standing five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach, the former UFC lightweight champion built his legacy on suffocating grappling, averaging 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career while landing strikes at a rate of 4.1 per minute with 48 percent accuracy. Paul approached him backstage and attempted to make his case in person, though Nurmagomedov appeared unmoved by the overtures.
Paul has been positioning himself as an aggressive dealmaker since the PFL-MVP merger was announced, reportedly going as far as offering prospective fighters new cars as part of negotiations. The backstage approach to Nurmagomedov fits that pattern and signals the promotion's ambition to land marquee names.
Why it matters
- A Nurmagomedov return would be one of the most significant events in combat sports, given his undefeated record and global profile.
- MVP MMA landing him would immediately elevate the new promotion's credibility against established rivals.
- Nurmagomedov's response, described as unmoved, suggests any fight remains far from reality at this stage.
- Paul's willingness to court fighters publicly and aggressively reflects the promotional strategy MVP MMA appears to be adopting post-merger.
