A new MMA promotion will launch in early 2025, and The Global Fight League (GFL) aims to redefine the combat sports landscape.
“Global Fight League (GFL) is revolutionizing combat sports with a global, team-based league that shares 50% of event revenue with athletes and prioritizes their health, wellness, and retirement. This groundbreaking league unites fans and athletes, creating MMA’s most passionate community.”
The GFL Fighter Roster
The Global Fight League has signed several UFC veterans, including former champions.
Among the signings are Tyron Woodley, Fabricio Werdum, Anthony Pettis, Alexei Oleynik, Junior Dos Santos, Hector Lombard, Luke Rockhold, Abubakar Nurmagomedov, Wanderlei Silva, Alex Gustafsson, Thiago Santos, Andre Arlovski, Lucas Martins, Gabriel Souza, Kevin Lee, Frank Mir, Bi Nguyen, Amirkhon Alikhuzhaev, Charles Rosa, Alan Belcher, Iliar Latifi, Jeremy Stephens, Marlon Moraes, Benson Henderson and many more.
The GFL will combine team and city-based competition while offering fighters a share of the profit on all events.
Under Darren Owen, the GFL has introduced a revolutionizing 50/50 revenue sharing model between team owners and athletes, classifying fighters as employees with guaranteed contracts, health insurance, and pension plans.
The GFL Structure: Team-Based Rules and Formats
The GFL will be a tournament structure, similar to the Professional Fight League (PFL).
These tournaments will feature brackets where fighters advance based on a point system.
GFL uses a point system to score regular-season fights. Fighters advance to the “seed” or Semi-Finals then the “Finalists” or Finals to deem the GFL champion.
A victory by finish earns a team four points, while a decision win secures three points. A draw awards two points, and a decision loss still grants one point. However, fighters who lose by finish will receive no points.
The GLF Point System
On December 29th, the GLF posted a list of some of the most commonly asked questions about this new MMA league.
How many GLF teams will there be?
The Global Fight League’s inaugural season will feature 6 teams representing 6 cities around the world. Look for the city announcements in January.
What makes up a GFL team roster?
The GLF team roster consists of 20 athletes across 10 weight divisions with 2 athletes in each division. The team roster is composed of 14 men and 6 women athletes.
What does being “SIGNED” mean?
“SIGNED” means the athlete is officially Draft-eligible to be chosen by the GFL’s 6 Team Managers + Coaches to compete in the GFL.
What is the purpose of the GFL Draft?
The Draft allows teams to strategically select fighters from a pool of 400+ male and female Draft-eligible athletes.
When is the GFL Draft?
Friday, January 24th. Stay tuned for details on the format and how to watch and follow!
Global Fight League Summary
The Global Fight League will push the boundaries no other promotion has dared to try before. Offering a 50/50 revenue split between team owners and athletes, classifying fighters as employees with guaranteed contracts, health insurance, and pension plans. Which could redefine the combat sports landscape forever.
As the GFL kicks off in 2025, all eyes are on how the new combat sports league will deliver on its promises. If it succeeds, it could usher in a new era of MMA.
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