PFL CEO John Martin has left the promotion after just over a year, with former UFC CFO and boxing executive Nakisa Bidarian now running all operations. MVP MMA is set to take over the promotion's branding on its major shows next year. PFL MENA general manager Jerome Mazet says he is confident in a bigger 2027 for the regional league and believes Bidarian's Gulf ties will help. PFL MENA holds its tournament semi-finals in Riyadh this Friday, headlined by a light-heavyweight trilogy between Mostafa Rashed Neda and Osama Elsaidy.
PFL has a new man running its operations. John Martin, the promotion's CEO for just over a year, has left the company, and Nakisa Bidarian, a former UFC chief financial officer and boxing executive, now oversees all operations.
The shake-up comes with a rebrand on the horizon. MVP MMA is set to take over the promotion's branding on its major shows next year, marking a significant shift in how PFL presents its biggest events.
PFL MENA general manager Jerome Mazet has reacted to the change with optimism. Mazet says he is confident the regional league will have a bigger 2027, and he believes Bidarian's ties to the Gulf region will help that push. The Middle East and North Africa circuit has been a growing part of the promotion's footprint, and leadership with regional relationships could matter as the league looks to expand.
The leadership news lands in the middle of PFL MENA's tournament schedule. The league holds its tournament semi-finals in Riyadh this Friday. The card is headlined by a light-heavyweight trilogy between Mostafa Rashed Neda and Osama Elsaidy, a third meeting between two fighters who already know each other well.
Why it matters
- Bidarian's background in UFC finance and boxing gives PFL an operator with experience on both the business and combat-sports sides.
- The MVP MMA branding change signals a new identity for PFL's major shows starting next year.
- Mazet's comments suggest the MENA league sees Gulf connections as a growth lever heading into 2027.
- The Riyadh semi-finals give the regional tournament a high-profile test in the middle of the transition.
Martin's exit after roughly a year in the top job marks a short tenure, and it leaves Bidarian to steer the promotion through its rebrand and regional expansion plans.
