Usman Nurmagomedov may have just fought the final bout of his PFL contract, but Jake Paul is already trying to give the undefeated champion another incentive to stick around after the PFL-MVP merger.

Moments after Nurmagomedov defeated previously unbeaten Archie Colgan in the first round to retain his lightweight title at PFL New York last night, ‘The Problem Child’ entered the cage to congratulate him and make an unexpected offer.

“Here’s what we say,” Jake Paul said. “Next fight, we’re launching; everyone tune in. Next fight, if you get a knockout, I buy you a car.”

The Dagestani, however, wasn’t interested in making promises about the future just yet.

“Brother, let’s talk about today, because we don’t know what’s tomorrow,” he replied.

Not one to be shot down so easily, Jake Paul doubled down moments later, joking that the champion might already have another bonus coming his way.

“Well, we want the future,” he continued. “Come on. Congratulations. Hey, you might get the bonus, come on.”

The YouTuber-turned-boxer wasn’t done praising the Dagestani standout either. During the same post-fight interview, he even stated that Usman Nurmagomedov would have little trouble facing Justin Gaethje, the same man who manhandled Ilia Topuria in their recent White House fight to sit atop the UFC lightweight throne.

“Justin Gaethje’s over there,” he added. “Honestly, I think he (Usman) would make light work of Gaethje, so I love you, Justin, but…”

However, the biggest news of the night wasn’t the car incentive or the first-round knockout; the biggest headline came when Usman Nurmagomedov confirmed what many already expected: his deal with the promotion has officially come to an end.

“We’ll see what’s going on,” he said. “This was my last fight. MVP, they always trash talk a little bit about Dana. He doesn’t pay. Now we’re gonna see how they wanna pay.”

The timing could not be more significant. Khabib’s cousin and Islam Makhachev‘s teammate improved his MMA record to 22-0 after his first-round knockout win over Archie Colgan. And his words come only days after the PFL and Most Valuable Promotions announced their merger, with PFL becoming the promotion’s devoted MMA arm.

Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian have joined the board of directors alongside PFL CEO John Martin, as the new company seeks to establish itself as the UFC’s main rival.

Jake Paul has also made a habit of rewarding standout performers. In his boxing promotion, ‘The Problem Child’ already gifted cars to undisputed champion Ellie Scotney and New Zealand’s Cherneka Johnson following their title-winning performances, so his offer to Usman Nurmagomedov is consistent with how MVP has celebrated its biggest stars.

And maybe that’s exactly why long before Nurmagomedov entered free agency, Islam Makhachev had already urged his longtime teammate not to rush into signing with the promotion where he himself sits as the welterweight champion.

Islam Makhachev warned Usman Nurmagomedov about UFC contract talks

While the reigning UFC welterweight champion believes Usman Nurmagomedov has outgrown the level of competition outside the Dana White-led promotion, Islam Makhachev also warned his teammate back in June that the promotion isn’t known for matching the amount of money available elsewhere.

“Looking at the opponents, I’d say Usman should make the move,” Makhachev told MMA Junkie. “To fully realize his potential, he needs tougher opponents. They push you to grow. I think Usman still has room to improve.

“I don’t know. You have to weigh it. In PFL, they pay much more. The UFC doesn’t like paying that much. If Usman signs, I think (he gets) half the purse he gets in PFL. The UFC won’t pay that. I think there’s still time. If he works out one more (PFL) contract, three fights, he won’t be late for anything.”

Rather than jumping at the first UFC offer, the Dagestani phenom suggested Nurmagomedov could afford to wait to weigh in on the options.

“Let the UFC make him an offer he can’t refuse,” he continued. “I think it’s possible, but if they offer a small purse, what’s the point of going when they don’t give you a third of what you’re currently making?”

Now that Usman Nurmagomedov has officially declared his free agency status, those negotiations are expected to be one of the biggest storylines in MMA in the coming months.

Whether he stays with the newly formed MVP MMA or makes the long-awaited jump to the UFC remains to be seen. And who knows, maybe he may even end up going one-on-one with Jake Paul himself after the YouTuber-turned-boxer revealed his plans to make his much-awaited MMA debut.