MVP MMA Case Study: Data Citations.
This page traces each search and fan-discussion claim in the blog post "The PFL-MVP merger gave MVP MMA the roster. Now it needs a corner." to the rows behind it. Independent portfolio case study built only from public information; not affiliated with or endorsed by MVP or PFL.
Data. D1 is page one of Google for 15 queries (113 results, 59 People Also Ask questions), captured 2026-09-25, logged out, from Rosedale, Washington. D2 is the top 50 comments by score in each of three r/MMA threads (150 comments), captured 2026-09-25. Both were coded by hand under an approved codebook, with a 20-row manual review of each. All findings are observational and not representative of the full fan base. Live Google results change daily and will not match this capture. Facts about the companies come from the P and S sources in the Source Log.
1. Datasets
| ID | Source | Sample | Raw files |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | Google Search, page one | 15 queries; 113 results; 59 People Also Ask questions; 6 AI Overviews | data/D1_serp/D1_results_coded.csv, data/D1_serp/D1_serp_features.json |
| D2-T1 | r/MMA: MVP and PFL announce merger (2026-07-30) | Top 50 comments | data/D2_reddit/D2_reddit_coded.csv |
| D2-T2 | r/MMA: John Martin stepping down as CEO (2026-09-22) | Top 50 comments | data/D2_reddit/D2_reddit_coded.csv |
| D2-T3 | r/MMA: Disinterested Dana White reacts to MVP-PFL merger (2026-07-31) | Top 50 comments | data/D2_reddit/D2_reddit_coded.csv |
Comment rows are cited as thread and rank (T2-6 is the sixth-ranked comment in thread T2). Comments are paraphrased; usernames are not recorded.
2. Who is the CEO of MVP MMA?
| Blog claim | What the data shows | Rows |
|---|---|---|
| Top comments in r/MMA's thread on Martin's resignation attribute his exit to burnout, a better offer, a power struggle and other negative explanations. | 28 of 150 comments frame the merger around leadership or stability; 18 of those 28 are negative. Fans supply their own reasons for the exit. | T2-6 (burnout, a new job, or private disagreements with Paul and Bidarian); T2-8 (calls Bidarian power-hungry; suspects this was the plan); T2-12 (asks whether something happened internally or MVP planned a takeover); T2-15 (jokes that Paul pushed him out) |
| No company channel names a successor. | Company-owned results for "PFL CEO" still present Martin as CEO. The MVP "About Us" page names the founders and no CEO. | D1: PFL CEO, positions 6 (PFL Facebook page) and 7 (PFL's 2025 "new CEO" release); MVP MMA CEO, position 6 (mostvaluablepromotions.com) |
3. 'Fighter first' needs proof on fighter pay
| Blog claim | What the data shows | Rows |
|---|---|---|
| The fighter-first narrative has gone flat in search results. | All 9 page-one results for "MVP fighter-first" are about Michael "Venom" Page. All four People Also Ask questions are about Page. | D1: MVP fighter-first, positions 1 to 9 |
| No one is talking about the organization's boldest brand claim. | The phrase "fighter first" appears in 0 of 150 comments. The four comments that praise MVP's pay or sponsor policy do not use it. | T1-12, T1-39, T1-50, T2-49 |
| (Context) The company does not own the fighter pay story. | The company owns 0 of 8 page-one results for "PFL fighter pay." Three of the top six results cover a $10,000 main-event purse at PFL San Diego in June 2026. | D1: PFL fighter pay, positions 1, 2 and 6 |
4. Don't fight Dana White and the UFC on their terms
| Blog claim | What the data shows | Rows |
|---|---|---|
| The top comments in r/MMA's main thread on White's reaction mocked White, not MVP. | The top comment (332 points) mocks White for not knowing who is on his own upcoming card. The third (84 points) says White is going through the motions. None of the top five criticizes MVP. | T3-1 through T3-5 |
| The talent-drain story hasn't taken hold yet. | No page-one title or snippet for "Dana White PFL MVP" mentions the two UFC signings. Of 6 comments about talent flow, 4 expect or speculate that fighters will move toward MVP; 1 notes the UFC took younger fighters from the last MVP card. | D1: Dana White PFL MVP, positions 1 to 8; T1-6, T1-43, T3-11, T3-19, T3-28 |
5. Who owns MVP MMA, and where can fans watch in 2027?
| Blog claim | What the data shows | Rows |
|---|---|---|
| The most common question Google suggested was "Who owns the company?" | Ownership questions appear in People Also Ask for 10 of 15 queries, more than any other topic. The most repeated questions are "Does Jake Paul own PFL?" and "Who is the owner of MVP MMA?" (3 queries each). | D1 People Also Ask: PFL; MVP MMA; PFL merger; Most Valuable Promotions; PFL fighters contracts MVP; PFL vs UFC; Dana White PFL MVP; PFL CEO; MVP MMA CEO; MVP MMA TV deal |
| Other top questions: Who's the CEO? Where do I watch in 2027? How much do fighters get paid? | CEO questions appear for "PFL CEO" and "MVP MMA CEO." Pay questions appear for 6 of 15 queries. "Where can I watch PFL in the USA?" leads for "how to watch PFL 2027." | D1 People Also Ask: PFL CEO; MVP MMA CEO; how to watch PFL 2027; pay questions on 6 queries |
| None of them had an answer on company-owned channels. | No page-one result for "how to watch PFL 2027" mentions 2027, MVP MMA or the transition. No page-one result for "MVP MMA TV deal" answers the query. | D1: how to watch PFL 2027, positions 1 to 8; MVP MMA TV deal, positions 1 to 8 |
| "MVP MMA" returns results for Michael "Venom" Page. | Four of 9 page-one results for "MVP MMA" are about Page, including the first two. | D1: MVP MMA, positions 1, 2, 5 and 8 |
| Top comments on r/MMA show fans filling the where-to-watch gap by assuming a Netflix deal. | 7 comments assume MVP MMA airs on Netflix in the U.S. or that MVP holds a Netflix media-rights deal. No U.S. partner has been announced (Source Log P3, P4). | T1-21, T1-31, T1-47, T3-2, T3-19, T3-28, T3-34 |
Limits
Google results come from one location on one date, and screenshots were not saved; the DOM extract in data/D1_serp/ is the raw record. Reddit data covers three threads in one subreddit. X, YouTube and TikTok were not sampled. Full methods and codebooks are in the Audience and Narrative Baseline Findings and in each data folder's NOTE.md.