John Martin steps down as PFL-MVP CEO

John Martin has stepped down as CEO of PFL-MVP following a major leadership transition at the combined promotion. Martin, who took the PFL helm after Peter Murray's departure in 2025, announced his decision via Instagram on Tuesday, endorsing Nakisa Bidarian—co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions—as his successor.

Martin's tenure saw the successful merger of PFL and MVP, the boxing and MMA hybrid promotion backed by Jake Paul and Bidarian. The executive praised his team's accomplishments and expressed confidence in Bidarian's ability to lead the organization forward. "Nakisa and I worked closely together to bring these companies together, and I believe he is the natural person to lead this next chapter," Martin wrote in his statement.

Before joining PFL, Martin held senior roles at Turner Entertainment and served as chief financial and administrative officer for Time Warner. His departure marks the latest executive shift at PFL, which announced the MVP merger in August and plans an official rebranding of events in 2027. When the merger was announced, Martin had expressed enthusiasm about the pairing, noting that MVP's ability to capture attention—particularly through Paul's star power and cross-sport opportunities—could accelerate PFL's growth and address long-standing distribution challenges in the U.S. market.