New MMA promotion signs 8 former UFC Champions to promotional contracts

While the UFC has long been established as the premier organization in Mixed Martial Arts, there has always been competing organizations attempting to take a part of that market share. With the PFL purchasing Bellator MMA there has been a large amount of athletes unhappy with the merger including champions such as Patchy Mix, Patricio Pitbull, and top contender Aaron Pico having publicly asked for their release from the organization.

While fans have felt like UFC was the only other option for those athletes, news of the Global Fight League recently broke on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani as the promotion announced a new team based them to mixed martial arts and attached a list of athletes already signed with the promotion which includes 8 former UFC Champions.

Darren Owen a former WSOF employee shared that the Global Fight League will launch it’s first season in April of 2025 and will in his words “redefine the business model and enhance competition in mixed martial arts” going on to say “Athletes and coaches will be part of an incentive and revenue share plan based on league success, while competing for glory and engaging with fans in cities around the world. The GFL will reimagine the business model of combat sports for the 21 century.”

While the league will have a ‘draft’ with teams finalizing their rosters, some of the top names included in the recent press release include Alan Belcher, Andrei Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum, Frank Mir, Junior Dos Santos, Alexander Gustafsson, Gegard Mousasi, Hector Lombard, Luke Rockhold, Wanderlei Silva, Benson Henderson, Rousimar Palhares, Tyron Woodley, Anthony Pettis, Jeremy Stephens, Kevin Lee, Pannie Kianzad, Tonya Evinger, Illir Latifi, and Pedro Carvalho.

Do you think the new league will be a success? Which fighters do you think will actually be drafted and established on a team roster?