Tag Archives: mma

Global Fight League Unveils Six Inaugural Cities, Marquee Team Managers and Coaches, MMA Legends

The Global Fight League (GFL) is proud to announce the six cities that will serve as the foundation for its inaugural season, along with a roster of world-class team managers, coaches, and the next wave of notable draft eligible-athletes. The first-ever GFL Draft will be held in Phoenix, Arizona, and streamed live on Friday, January 24, 2025 at 8 pm EST. Details on where and how to watch will be announced in the coming days.

Six Inaugural Cities and Legendary Leadership

The inaugural GFL cities and their leadership teams represent a convergence of MMA’s past, present, and future:

  • Los Angeles: Known as a hub and home for world-class gyms and athletes, this city will be led by Manager Wanderlei Silva and Coach Rafael Cordeiro, a legendary duo synonymous with Brazilian MMA excellence.
  • New York: Home to the most sports fans in the world, New York embodies history and grit. Led by legendary Coach Ray Longo, renowned for training champions, the team’s manager will be announced soon.
  • Miami: Where cultural vibrancy meets fight tradition, Miami thrives under Manager Thiago Alves and Coach Conan Silveira, icons of Brazilian and American MMA with roots in the legendary American Top Team.
  • São Paulo: São Paulo embodies the rich heritage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Vale Tudo—the very foundations of modern MMA—guided by former champion Manager Lyoto Machida and legendary Coach André Pederneiras, who has shaped many of the sport’s most iconic athletes.
  • London: Europe’s combat sports capital, London combines tradition and innovation under the leadership of Manager Luke Barnatt and Coach Carl Prince, who bring local and international expertise.
  • Dubai: The rising fight capital of the world, Dubai brings global prestige to the league with Manager Cain Velasquez and Coach Javier Mendez, two legends with a proven track record of creating champions.

Deep, Talented, and Championship Caliber Athlete Draft Pool

The GFL Draft pool is stacked with talent, highlighting a blend of MMA legends and emerging stars. New confirmed names include:

  • Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
  • Yoel Romero
  • Chad Mendes
  • Renan Barao
  • Douglas Lima
  • Ovince Saint Preux
  • Todd Duffee

Additional athletes will be revealed in the days leading up to the Draft, promising a competitive lineup that spans continents and showcases the league’s global reach.
Live Draft Event: January 24, 2025

The first-ever GFL Draft will take place live on January 24, 2025, setting the stage for an innovative team-based competition model in MMA. Managers and coaches will select athletes to represent their cities, creating rosters that blend veteran expertise with emerging talent.

“This league is built on respect for the sport’s history and a vision for its future,” said Darren Owen, GFL Commissioner. “Our cities, managers, and coaches reflect the very best of MMA, and our draft will kick off an unforgettable first season.”

Global Fight League Unveils List of 60 Signed Women Athletes Ahead of Jan. 24 Draft, Inaugural Season

The Global Fight League (GFL), the new team-based MMA organization launching in April 2025, has announced its initial list of female athletes under contract and eligible for selection in its inaugural draft on January 24. Featuring 60 fighters and counting, the list includes athletes from 16 nations, including several world champions, all competing to make history in the first-ever co-ed, team-based MMA league.

“We are proud to be the first professional sports organization where men and women compete on the same teams and share revenue streams equally,” said Darren Owen, GFL Founder and Commissioner. “The incredible drawing power, athleticism, and competitiveness of the world’s best female fighters will be pivotal to our success. This groundbreaking approach represents a new era for MMA, where male and female athletes share equally in the league’s achievements.”

The GFL is pioneering a 50% event-specific revenue-sharing model that ensures athletes benefit directly from the league’s success, additionally included are athlete retirement and insurance funds. This revolutionary structure prioritizes fighters’ financial security and professional well-being, offering unprecedented profit-sharing opportunities to empower male and female athletes throughout their careers.

The initial list of draft eligible women under contract includes some of the most decorated and recognized names in combat sports, such as:

• Paige VanZant – Combat Sports Icon

• Julia Budd – Bellator Featherweight Champion

• Jessica Aguilar – WSOF Strawweight Champion

• Livinha Souza – Invicta FC Strawweight Champion

• Tonya Evinger – Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion

• Kalindra Faria – Titan FC Flyweight Champion

• Pannie Kianzad – Cage Warriors Bantamweight Champion

• Cynthia Calvillo – HEX Flyweight Champion

• Natalie Kuziutina – LFA Strawweight Champion & Olympic Bronze Medalist

The list of draft-eligible athletes is available at https://www.mmagfl.com/athletes

The GFL will launch with six teams representing major global markets across four continents. Competitions will span the globe, culminating in playoffs and a championship event, establishing the GFL as a premier experience for MMA athletes and fans worldwide.

In a major leadership acquisition, former UFC Champion Cain Velasquez has joined the GFL as a team manager. His first act of duty was signing his world renowned trainer, Javier Mendez, as head coach of his team. Mendez, the founder of the world-famous American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), has trained some of MMA’s greatest fighters, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and Daniel Cormier.

With MMA’s undeniable global popularity, the GFL represents the next evolution of the sport, combining a team-based league model with an unwavering commitment to athlete equity. By fostering a new level of financial security and opportunity for fighters, the GFL is poised to set a new gold standard in professional sports.

Global Fight League Announces Initial Funding and Sets Launch Plan for New Team-Based MMA Property

The Global Fight League, a new team-based MMA property, today announced that it has successfully closed a multi-million-dollar seed round and is set to launch its first season in April 2025. The league will hold a virtual selection process to determine the fighters on each team on January 24, the details of which will be released in the coming weeks.

The GFL will combine team and city-based competition with a new level of empowerment for male and female fighters across all stages of their career, offering profit sharing on all events from the very start.

“Our new league is a logical evolution for MMA,” said Darren Owen, longtime global MMA event promoter, entrepreneur, and Founder of the Global Fight League. “Our mission is to embrace fighters as true equitable partners from inception and, together, create a format that can be understood by any sports fan. I’ve had hundreds of conversations with MMA legends and rising stars and our business plan is an extension of what I have heard from fighters who want a new way to compete and excel in the world’s fastest growing sport.”

Many of the sport’s most notable fighters have been assembled to compete in the inaugural GFL season including: Tyron Woodley, Luke Rockhold, Wanderlei Silva, Anthony Pettis, Fabricio Werdum, Junior Dos Santos, Andrei Arlovski, Frank Mir, Benson Henderson, Gegard Mousasi, Alexander Gustafsson, Hector Lombard, Kevin Lee, Abubakar Nurmagomedov, Hannah Goldy and Marlon Moraes, who will serve as the Head of the GFL’s Athlete Association.

The GFL is pioneering a 50% event-specific revenue share model that ensures athletes benefit from the league’s success. This revolutionary structure prioritizes fighters’ financial security and professional well-being.

The GFL is committed to providing unparalleled financial benefits while prioritizing fighter health and safety. Additionally, the league will actively work to eliminate extreme weight-cutting practices to foster a healthier and more sustainable environment for athletes. This initiative reflects the league’s commitment to protecting its athletes and promoting longevity in their careers.

The league will launch with six teams based in major global markets. Competitions will span the world, culminating in a playoff and a championship that will establish the GFL’s position as a world-class experience for athletes and fans alike. Teams will be coached by some of MMA’s most respected figures, including Rafael Cordeiro, with team managers such as Lyoto Machida bringing exceptional expertise.

Marlon Moraes, Head of the GFL Athlete Association, remarked, “This is a new chapter for fighters. The GFL is built on fairness, respect, and opportunity. Fighters now have a voice and a stake in the sport’s future.”

With MMA’s undeniable global popularity, the GFL is the natural progression of a sport that transcends borders. By combining a historically proven team-based league model with a commitment to athlete equity, the GFL aims to help the MMA industry innovate and set a new gold standard in professional sports.

CELSIUS Teams Up with MMA Superstar Dustin Poirier

Celsius

Celsius Holdings, Inc., maker of the leading global fitness drink, CELSIUS®, today announced that they have officially signed Dustin Poirier to Team CELSIUS to act as an ambassador and engage with fans and consumers on behalf of the brand.

“I’ve been a fan of CELSIUS for a long-time – I’m very careful about what I put into my body, and I know that CELSIUS is a healthy way to get a boost of energy. Plus it’s been scientifically proven to help boost your metabolism, which obviously doesn’t hurt when it comes time for weigh-ins,” said celebrated MMA fighter and current #2 UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier. “It just made a lot of sense for me to get involved with CELSIUS – not only do I drink it regularly but the company is right in my backyard in Boca Raton where I spend half my year.”

“We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to collaborate with an athlete of Dustin’s caliber who happens to be a huge fan of the product and is also practically a neighbor,” added Celsius Holding Inc.’s CEO John Fieldly. “We look forward to working with Dustin to introduce CELSIUS to new fans and to get our existing fans even more excited.”

CELSIUS® is a lifestyle fitness drink and a pioneer in the rapidly growing performance energy sector.

CELSIUS has four beverage lines that each offer a property, functional, healthy-energy formula with distinct clinically-proven benefits such as boosting endurance and burning body fat.

CELSIUS® is backed by six university studies that were published in peer-reviewed journals validating the unique benefits CELSIUS® provides.