It was confirmed that Jake Paul has parted ways with the PFL, having never fought for the promotion. After signing in 2023 with a lot of excitement, hype and potential, nothing materialised and after a two and a half year relationship, it’s over. There is no bitterness between the split, with Paul’s contract simply expiring.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered. Welcome to the Professional Fighters League @jakepaul pic.twitter.com/pgMDUprK6S
— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 5, 2023
Jake Paul’s focus remained on boxing throughout his tenure under the PFL. He’s since competed eight times in boxing, going 6-2. His most notable outing came last time out against Anthony Joshua in a knockout loss.
Paul’s departure from the PFL highlights everything that is wrong with the PFL in the current climate of MMA. Let’s look into it.
Jake Paul’s Departure from PFL Shows Everything That Is Wrong with the Promotion
The issue with PFL is that everything comes with a lot of hype and very little substance.
Jake Paul’s X announcement boasted 5.2million views and 21,000 likes. It got people talking; everyone was excited to see how Paul would look in the octagon. What happened? Nothing. It was incredibly short-term, and the PFL failed to capitalise on the hype that they had with Paul.
The Ngannou Signing
Likewise, the signing of Francis Ngannou was huge. Signing in May 2023, his debut was set for 2024. For context, Ngannou was the hottest prospect outside of the UFC. He was the UFC heavyweight champion when he was released, and he never actually lost the belt in the UFC octagon. At the time of his signature to the PFL, The Predator hadn’t competed in over a year, and it would be yet another year before he made his SmartCage debut.
Despite clearly having hype when he signed for the promotion, a lot of that original fire had gone out, with fans getting frustrated with a lack of a fight for Ngannou. Also, having ventured into the world of boxing and lost twice, including a brutal dismantling at the hands of future Jake Paul foe, Anthony Joshua, some of Ngannou’s aura was lost.
When he finally made his PFL debut, he won the symbolic PFL Super Fights Heavyweight belt, knocking out Renan Ferreira in the first round. Since then, however, there has been little to suggest that his return is imminent.
One MMA fight since January 2026 for a man who could have been the heavyweight GOAT? Another mistake by the PFL.
Crossover Stars
The PFL have also made a number of famous signings when it comes to crossover stars. Boxing royalty, Claressa Shields signed for the PFL in 2021. After making her debut in a winning fashion against Brittney Elkin, she would go on to lose against Abby Montes next time out. It would be three years until Shields made her third and final PFL appearance. Shields would out-point Kelsey DeSantis, becoming the first woman to win an MMA fight in Saudi Arabia.
Bitter foe of Shields from the world of boxing, Savannah Marshall signed on the dotted line with the PFL in 2023. Her debut wasn’t hyped as much as Shields’ as she wasn’t such a global name, however, the PFL appeared to be more invested in Marshall than they were in Shields. She made her debut at PFL Europe 2 in 2024 and headlined the event in her home of Newcastle, scoring a first-round finish. A face-off between her and Shields occurred; however, nothing ever materialised. All that hype and excitement for nothing… much like the Jake Paul situation.
Former professional footballer, Manchester United legend and France international, Patrice Evra signed with the promotion in 2025. He was scheduled to make his debut on a now-cancelled card, however, there has since been no news as to Evra’s debut. The Frenchman would bring plenty of eyes to the event due to his global allure, but at 44 years old, father time is catching up. Another hype show… wasted.
Amanda Serrano, a friend and member of Jake Paul’s roster of boxers, signed for the PFL in 2023, agreeing to sign for the PFL’s Super Fight series, however, she never made an appearance, despite having three fight MMA career prior to the signing.
If the UFC is to truly make a run at cracking the UFC’s dominance, they have to capitalise on their crossover stars when they’re ‘hot’. Too many times have they allowed the spark to go out and not made the most of potential. The Jake Paul signing highlights this.
