Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions Could Make Push to Sign Conor McGregor

UFC fans have had to wait five long years for Conor McGregor's MMA return.

The 37-year-old Irishman last fought in the Octagon back in 2021 - a first-round TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in which he suffered a broken leg - but he's set to make his UFC return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11.

But after the Holloway fight, McGregor has just one more fight left on his UFC deal and he could hit free agency if the UFC doesn't make him a lucrative enough offer to stay.

Should that happen, many expect Most Valuable Promotions - an MMA company founded by Jake Paul and co-run with Nakisa Bidarian - to make a major push to sign arguably the biggest name in combat sports.

"I think he has two fights left on his deal [the Holloway fight] being one of two - do the wheels start turning there now that you're in the MMA business?" MMA insider Ariel Helwani asked Bidarian.

"If the day comes that Conor McGregor is a free agent, we will do everything in our power to work with him," Bidarian said. "That’s to work with him to do his own events, if that’s to work with him to fight Jake Paul in boxing and MMA, if that’s to try to make Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz and ensure they get the vast majority of the revenue.

"Conor’s biggest payday of his career - by far - is fighting Floyd Mayweather. The one time he wasn’t within the frame and pay system of his current employer. I know he knows that, and I know he knows the power he has as a brand, and I hope we’re able to help him in that one day, if and when he’s a free agent."

McGregor is a true wild card. After a five-year layoff, it's not known if his heart is even still in the fight game.

The former two-division UFC champion has made it known he cares more about making money at this point in his career than pursuing championship glory, which could make MVP an ideal landing spot for McGregor.

Rond Rousey earned a $2.2 million payout for her fight against Gina Carano, who earned $1.05 million, for fighting in the main event of the first-ever Most Valuable Promotions MMA card.

Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou also earned $1.5 million, and ex-UFC fights Nate Diaz and Mike Perry earned $500,000 and $400,000, respectively, for competing on the card.

If McGregor were to compete for MVP, it's possible he could secure multimillion-dollar payouts per fight.

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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 6:02 PM.