Nakisa Bidarian Fires Back At Netflix Rumors About MVP MMA: ‘That’s BS’
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Most Valuable Promotions CEO Nakisa Bidarian during the MVPW-06 UK vs USA press conference at Glaziers Hall, London. Picture date: Tuesday July 28, 2026. (Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)
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PA Images via Getty ImagesI sat down with MVP co-founder and head of MVPW, Nakisa Bidarian. We discussed the MVP MMA on Netflix rumors, a Claressa Shields-Ronda Rousey comparison and an up-and-coming 160-pounder who Bidarian believes could be a good matchup for Shields.
In one of the more interesting pieces of the conversation, I pitched the idea of MVP and Scott Coker’s new Ki MMA doing a cross-promotional show, MVP vs. Ki MMA.
We also talked about the upcoming MVPW on ESPN card headlined by Alycia Baumgardner’s step up to lightweight to challenge Elif Nur Turhan for her 135-pound title. The card has several fighters that the promotion is highlighting, thus it will be its next big boxing event on the ESPN platform. Let’s talk boxing.
Watch my full conversation with Nakisa Bidarian here.
MVPW-07 Key Facts
DetailInfoEventMVPW-07DateSunday, Nov. 8, 2026VenueCollege Park Center, Arlington, TexasBroadcastESPN and the ESPN AppMain eventElif Nur Turhan (14-0, 8 KOs) vs. Alycia Baumgardner (18-1, 7 KOs), IBF lightweight titleCo-main eventRamla Ali (11-2, 3 KOs) vs. Mikiah Kreps (11-0, 3 KOs), vacant WBO and IBF super bantamweight titlesAlso on ESPNSkye Nicolson vs. Miyo Yoshida (WBC super bantamweight); Irma Garcia vs. Nataly Delgado (IBF and WBA super flyweight)Is MVP MMA Done With Netflix?
Last week, reports surfaced that MVP’s access to Netflix was in jeopardy after a shakeup among the streamer’s executives. I asked Bidarian whether it’s Netflix or bust for MVP MMA in 2027.
“I like the term Netflix and chill, but Netflix or bust doesn’t sound as nice,” Bidarian said. “We’re in active discussions with a number of platforms, and Netflix is a long-term partner of ours and we’ll continue to do events with Netflix.”
He added that MVP never expected a full calendar on the service. “Our assumption was never that we were going to do 16, 18, 20 shows on Netflix,” he said. “That’s not their strategy.”
Bidarian didn’t hold back on the chatter. “I did see some tweets last week around, ‘Oh, Netflix is never doing an MVP MMA event again.’ That’s rubbish. That’s bulls---,” he said. “That’s just Twitter chatter, or X chat, or people who are trying to get attention and, I guess, go quote-unquote viral.”
He pointed to one post as proof of how low that bar has dropped. “I saw a guy post that his tweet had gone viral and it had 354 likes,” he said.
Who Will Be MVPW’s Next Breakout Star?
I asked Bidarian which MVPW fighter will be a household name in two years that most fans haven’t heard of yet. He started with the landscape.
“I believe the only real household names in women’s boxing are Amanda, Katie and Claressa Shields today. And Alycia is right there with them, right? Ready to take over,” he said. “But, no, boxing, not just women’s boxing, is not a mainstream sport. So the onus is on us and on these athletes to break through.”
He pointed to Turhan first, calling her a fighter “who no one had heard about two years ago and went on a crazy KO streak.” She enters the main event 14-0 with eight knockouts.
His boldest projection was for Albina Moldazhanova, who is 5-0 with five knockouts. “I think she has the potential to be one of the biggest stars the sport has ever seen,” Bidarian said. “May not be two years, three to four years, but the way that she’s come in, the power that she possesses... very excited about her as well.”
I also brought up Ramla Ali, who fights Mikiah Kreps for the vacant WBO and IBF super bantamweight titles on Nov. 8. Bidarian sees her as a different case. “Ramla is more of a household name than most because she has a different path... And I think she’s nearing the end of her career,” he said.
He’s pulling for her anyway. “I think it’ll be very meaningful to many, not just women, not just girls, but people who come from, you know, challenging environments,” Bidarian said.
Can Anyone Challenge Claressa Shields at the Top?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 11: (L-R) Jake Paul and Tamm Thibeault pose after victory over Tamm Thibeault during Netflix's Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano 3 at Madison Square Garden on July 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix)
Getty Images for NetflixBidarian then brought up Tammara Thibeault, the Canadian Olympian who now holds the IBF, WBO and Ring middleweight titles. “Tamm Thibeault is our newly minted 160-pound champion... I’m so excited to see her continue to grow and hopefully... eventually make a fight with her and Claressa Shields,” he said.
I suggested the biggest obstacle to finding Shields a worthy opponent is that most of the best women in the sport are much smaller. Bidarian agreed, with a caveat.
“Claressa is a very skilled fighter, a great self-promoter, but she hasn’t faced a lot of tough competition,” he said. “When she has, which was Savannah Marshall, she did win. So credit to her.”
He was clear that it isn’t a knock on Shields. “It doesn’t mean that Claressa is doing anything wrong. It’s just a function of the weight class that she’s in... Women’s boxing as a whole is very young,” he said.
In his view, the depth sits lower on the scale. “If you look at the 122 to 126, 130, 135, 140, those are very deep, skilled weight classes within the sport of women’s boxing,” Bidarian said.
Is Claressa Shields the Ronda Rousey of Boxing?
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 16: Claressa Shields smiles during introductions prior to facing off against Kaye Scott of Australia during their WBC World & WBA World Female Middleweight Title bout at State Farm Arena on August 16, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesI compared Shields to Ronda Rousey, arguing that both arrived at a time when few women were doing what they did, and both dominated. Bidarian pushed back.
“I will stop you there. Ronda Rousey dominated definitively. She finished every opponent before she lost and did it in spectacular fashion,” he said. “I think part of what’s remarkable about Claressa is she’s actually created a brand herself without having that decisive finishing power.”
His conclusion was blunt. “Can’t compare Claressa to Ronda Rousey, with all due respect to Claressa Shields,” he said.
That led to a question about whether the lack of knockouts is the biggest hurdle for women’s boxing going mainstream. Bidarian pointed to the round length.
“Because of the two-minute rounds, it’s unbelievably exciting, the action is nonstop, but by the time someone’s actually able to finish, the round is done,” he said. Three-minute rounds, he argued, let fighters “be much more strategic and purposeful with their output,” which leads to knockouts. “We’ve been a big proponent of trying to make that change.”
Would MVP Do a Cross-Promotion With Ki MMA?
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 14: Bellator president Scott Coker speaks to the media at the Bellator 297 pre-fight press conference on June 14, 2023, at the Willis Tower Sky Deck in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesMy last question was a pitch. With MVP MMA positioning itself as a long-term player and Coker launching Ki MMA, would MVP be open to an MVP vs. Ki MMA show, given the UFC isn’t co-promoting with anyone?
“Boxing, as you know, is constantly filled with cross-promotion. It’s a part of the business,” Bidarian said. He pointed to PFL’s crossover with RIZIN in early September. “Massively successful event, 50,000 people in venue. And so, of course, we’d be open to doing that with Scott or any other promotion where it makes sense for the fighters and for the fans.”
Bidarian said that when he and Jake Paul looked at their path in MMA after their first event, one option was to “raise money, sign a bunch of fighters and try to go after the opportunity like Scott is doing, and kudos to him.” Instead, they went the strategic route, which he said gave MVP “the benefit of almost 300 fighters,” including Usman Nurmagomedov and Dakota Ditcheva.
“And yes, to conclude, we would definitely do a co-promotion with Scott Coker if it made sense,” he said.
The MVP vs. Ki MMA shows could be a major success. Combining the two rosters to put on a mega event is a formula that allows for both promotions to gain important exposure.
If there are noteworthy stakes and if it is an honor to be chosen to represent the promotion, that would make for a show most MMA fans would find compelling.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com