What happened: On the Helwani show's live LA return, Jake Paul argued the UFC is in decline, saying 'a lot of weird things' are happening at the promotion. Paul claimed the organization has 'lost touch with the pulse of their fans' and is no longer making the fights people want to see. The comments aired alongside guests Ronda Rousey, Joshua Van, Sean Brady and Eric Nicksick.

Why it matters: Paul is a direct commercial rival through MVP and has openly courted UFC fighters on contract disputes, so his framing of UFC drift doubles as a recruiting pitch. The remarks land in a week where UFC matchmaking is already a talking point after Sean Strickland's split-decision upset of Khamzat Chimaev for the middleweight title. Helwani giving Paul the platform amplifies the critique to UFC's core audience.

What to watch: Watch for a UFC response, and whether Paul follows up with concrete signings or a PFL/MVP counter-programming move. The same Helwani LA show is expected to keep Paul, Rousey and Van on rotation this week.