Jake Paul’s combat sports promotion, Most Valuable Promotions, has moved swiftly to save a key welterweight bout for their debut MMA event after a veteran was forced to withdraw. Former Bellator champion Jason Jackson will now face “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 33 alum Jefferson Creighton on the undercard of Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano.
The promotion confirmed the new matchup on Monday following the exit of UFC and Bellator veteran Lorenz Larkin:
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The event, scheduled for May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, will stream globally on Netflix.
Larkin revealed earlier this month that he had suffered a knee injury that would prevent him from competing. He shared the news directly with fans via his Instagram story on April 14, offering an apology for the late withdrawal (screenshot via Combat Sports Today on Instagram):
“I’m sorry to all the fans, but I had to pull out of the Netflix card due to knee injury,” Larkin wrote. “Will be rehabbing it back to 100 percent and will be back.”
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Unfortunately for the 39-year-old Larkin, this fight cancellation is a significant career setback after he recently lost at Karate Combat 58 at the hands of Vanilto Antunes. Prior to that loss, Larkin was riding the momentum from a decision win in the Karate promotion, preceded by two first-round stoppage victories in the PFL.
A Golden Opportunity for Creighton
Stepping into the spotlight is 30-year-old Californian Jefferson “Jazzy” Creighton, who enters the contest with a professional record of 12 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. Creighton hasn’t suffered a defeat since a 2021 loss to Max Rohskopf under the Cage Warriors banner.
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Since then, he has assembled an impressive seven-fight unbeaten streak that includes a win over then-unbeaten Joey Davis in his lone Bellator appearance.
Creighton gained some exposure last year as a member of Daniel Cormier’s team on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 33.
He advanced past Andreeas Binder in the opening round before losing to Rodrigo Sezinando via split decision in the semifinals. Despite the strong showing, Creighton was not offered a UFC contract, so he competed for LFA instead.
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Most recently, Creighton fought in November 2025 at LFA 223, securing a unanimous decision victory over Diego Bianchini (via LFA on TikTok):
The late-notice nature of this booking against Jackson marks the highest-profile opportunity of his career. He will look to capitalize on the massive platform provided by the Netflix broadcast.
Jackson Seeks Redemption
For Jason Jackson, this fight is his chance to regain momentum after a difficult stretch. The former Bellator welterweight champion knocked out Yaroslav Amosov in a huge upset to claim the title in the promotion’s final headliner before the PFL acquisition (via BellatorMMA on YouTube):
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However, Jackson has since gone 1-2 in his last three outings, including a title loss to Ramazan Kurmagomedov.
His last fight was a razor-thin split decision loss to Thad Jean in the PFL welterweight tournament semifinals last June. With his back against the wall, Jackson will remain on one of the most anticipated cards of the year thanks to Creighton stepping in on late notice.
Decently Stacked Card Remains Intact
Despite the injury disruption, MVP’s first foray into MMA retains a loaded lineup with significant cross-generational appeal.
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The main event features a long-awaited grudge match between former UFC bantamweight queen Ronda Rousey and women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano.
The heavyweight division will also be represented in the co-main event, in which former UFC champion Francis Ngannou makes his return to MMA against former PFL champion Philipe Lins.
Francis Ngannou (L) and Brazilian Philipe Lins face off
Further bolstering the main card is a welterweight fan-favorite clash between Stockton’s Nate Diaz and bare-knuckle brawler Mike Perry, plus notable talents such as Muhammad Mokaev taking on Adriano Moraes.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
