Soon after the loss to Tommy Fury, Jake Paul took on UFC legend Nate Diaz for a ten-round fight. He won, and subsequently, talks emerged that there might be another fight between the two—in an octagon. Now one might wonder what the YouTuber-turned-boxer has to do with the cage. Hasn’t he made the squared circle his colosseum? Probably many fans might have forgotten. Last year, early in January, a big announcement came. ‘The Problem Child’ had joined hands with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) with a ‘multi-year-fight’ contract.

It seems his involvement with the franchise goes beyond mere participation. But he may not be the only person from a non-MMA background who has some interest in the league. Wiz Khalifa was already there to give him some company. Let’s dwell on what kind of role the YouTuber-turned-boxer and the rapper play in the journey of one of the most well-known sports leagues. Jake Paul is all set to enter the ring again. He will meet Mike Perry at Tampa, Florida’s Amalie Arena, on July 20. The date initially featured the much-anticipated bout between ‘The Problem Child’ and ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson.

What is Jake Paul’s contract with PFL? Is he an owner?

According to a story on ‘SportsPromedia’, per the multi-fight contract that he signed, Jake Paul seems to have an ‘equity stake’ in the PFL. Incidentally, his close associate and co-founder of his promotional venture, Most Valuable Promotions, Nakisa Bidarian, also enjoys equity ownership in the league. PFL and Paul together to create a ‘PFL PPV Super Fight’ division.

Reportedly, ‘The Problem Child’ and the fighters who subsequently join the division would be receiving some 50% of the revenue generated through par-per-view (PPV) buyouts. Additionally, the Ohioan would be PFL’s ‘Head of Fighter Advocacy’ as well. A piece on ESPN suggested that the role requires him to ‘promote the series’ athletes and assist in recruitment’.

So where does he do in terms of ownership in the PFL? The mixed martial arts league’s portal actually doesn’t feature Jake Paul’s name under the ownership details. Below the name of founding partner Donn Davis, among other partners, the names of rapper Wiz Khalifa and actor Kevin Hart mark their presence.

Does Wiz Khalifa own PFL?

It was in April 2021 that the North Dakota-born rapper-songwriter joined PFL as an advisor. The PFL’s website highlighted that the rapper “will collaborate with the league on integrating various elements of pop culture—from music integration and content creation to MMA lifestyle apparel.” In turn, to enhance the entertainment value, the MMA league franchise would be using Khalifa’s music during the regular seasons, playoffs, and championship shows.

In a statement, PFL CEO Peter Murray shared, “I’m excited to welcome Wiz Khalifa to the PFL’s ownership group and partner with such a gifted global music and cultural icon. Wiz will play an active role in shaping and amplifying the voice of the PFL brand and how it resonates with the 550 million fans around the world.”

On his part, the maker of hits such as ‘Black and Yellow’ and the ‘Furious 7’s original soundtrack ‘See You Again’ expressed his happiness in being a part of such an august team. He shared that he had himself been practicing mixed martial arts for quite a few years. Wiz Khalifa sounded thrilled about receiving such an opportunity and hoped to contribute more to the sport through his ideas and abilities.

PFL: A journey through the years

PFL was founded six years ago by Donn Davis, a venture capitalist. It’s debut show occurred at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. PFL is now being valued at the ballpark figure of $1 billion, according to a story done on Sports Business Journal. It’s market valuation in 2022 was somewhere around $500 million.

Last year, in a major development towards expansion, PFL got ownership rights of Bellator MMA. Its first major event on European soil took place on March 25, last year. The fight league then conducted the first significant mixed martial arts event in Saudi Arabia on February 24 this year. The event’s early card featured ‘The Greatest’ Muhammad Ali‘s grandson Baggio Ali Walsh and Claressa Shields. The undisputed champion had re-signed with PFL last year. She was returning to MMA after a gap of over 2 years.

Then, in a major coup, PFL signed up former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in May. Aside from the stakes in the equity and his advisory roles, ‘The Predator’ received an additional appointment as Chairman of PFL Africa.

Who, in your view, should Jake Paul fight in his inaugural MMA fight?