Bidarian Treats $20M Demands as a Red Flag in Paul–Fury Talks

When Nakisa Bidarian mentions eight-figure purse demands, he is describing willingness rather than strategy. In his view, once a fighter starts asking for $10, $15, or $20 million, the fight is already slipping out of reach.

That view sits at the center of Jake Paul’s stalled rematch with Tommy Fury. Speaking this week, the MVP co-founder drew a clear distinction between wanting a fight and pricing it out of reality. His suggestion was simple and pointed. Excessive demands tend to function less as a business position and more as a quiet exit.

The Number That Ends Negotiations

“I can go ahead and ask for 10, 15, or 20 million dollars all the time, but that to me says you really don’t want the fight because we don’t have that kind of opportunity,” said Bidarian to iFL TV about a fight between Jake and Tommy Fury.

Bidarian made the remarks while discussing Paul’s future and the possibility of reopening talks with Fury. He did not outline timelines, venues, or broadcasters. Instead, he focused on how negotiations usually fail before they ever begin. When figures escalate beyond reasonable expectations, he suggested, it often reflects a lack of real willingness to engage.

The comments subtly flip a familiar narrative around Paul’s career. Paul has often been portrayed as the side manipulating terms, locations, or conditions to manage control exposure. Bidarian shifts that suspicion toward the other side. In this view, a fighter who wants the bout does not need to make acceptance difficult.

That tension has followed the rivalry since their first fight. Afterward, Paul claimed Fury rejected a $15 million rematch offer. Fury responded publicly, arguing that the proposed terms made the fight impossible to accept. Bidarian avoided revisiting those details. Instead, he narrowed the dispute to a single question centered on willingness rather than logistics.

The price is already doing the talking

Even Bidarian’s caution reinforced the point he was making. He acknowledged that he has yet to speak directly with Paul about final plans and described the rematch as a goal rather than a certainty. Talks may still happen, and positions can change. The interpretation of excessive demands, however, remains fixed.

If the rematch eventually moves forward, it will serve as evidence that both sides were prepared to meet reality. If it does not, Bidarian has already explained how his side will read the outcome. He managed to do so without accusations, deadlines, or ultimatums, leaving the price tag itself as the loudest signal.