There’s a new player in the MMA space.
On Wednesday, Darren Owen announced that a new, team-based MMA league, the Global Fight League, will launch its first season starting in April of 2025. The initial announcement, which comes almost exactly three years after Owen revealed similar plans for a different team-based fight promotion, was made on Ariel Helwani’s show, followed by a press release giving more specifics into the new promotion.
“Launching in 2025, the Global Fight League seeks to redefine the business model and enhance competition in mixed martial arts,” Owen said. “Athletes and coaches will be part of an incentive and revenue sharing plan based on league success, while competing for glory and engaging with fans in cities around the world. The GFL will reimagine the business of combat sports for the 21st century.”
Though details are still sparse, GFL’s initial season will consist of six teams “based in major global markets” comprised of 20 fighters, two representatives each across 10 weight classes.
And the list of fighters already attached is robust. The GFL provided a non-comprehensive list of fighters already under contract with the promotion, featuring a number of big names including eight former UFC champions.
From this initial list, Tyron Woodley, Fabricio Werdum, Anthony Pettis, Junior dos Santos, Luke Rockhold, Frank Mir, Andrei Arlovski, and Benson Henderson, who all held titles in the UFC while Marlon Moraes, Wanderlei Silva, Gegard Mousasi, Rafael Carvalho, Lance Palmer, and Will Brooks were champions in other major organizations such as Bellator and World Series of Fighting.
On top of this, GFL also says it is “committed to providing unparalleled financial benefits while prioritizing fighter health and safety” and will have a 50/50 revenue share model with the fighters, retirement incentives, and an athlete association, which is headed up by former WSOF champion Marlon Moraes.
Owens told Helwani that he expects to meet with potential broadcast partners in January to secure a broadcast rights deal for the promotion’s inaugural season.
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