Is GFL a facade disguised as a fight promotion? That’s what many within the combat sports realm have started to believe, especially as the company’s debut events set for May 25 and May 26 have been delayed indefinitely. Although there is a bleak hope of rescheduling the said events to June, things are far from ideal. When the promotion was first announced in 2024, fans naturally dismissed it as a joke. But why? Well, eyebrows began to rise when CEO Darren Owens signed veterans and over-the-hill fighters like Tony Ferguson, Chris Weidman, Shogun Rua, and Tyron Woodley.
But things got much worse. Owens later announced a May 2025 launch, but a setback in the form of a major investor pulling the plug stalled momentum. “Our primary investor didn’t fulfill his April obligation, which has caused some issues,” Owens said as he emphasized that it has become a bit of a bother for them to hold their anticipated debut. He further added, “However, we have a solution in place. We are likely going to have to launch in June, but 100 percent moving forward.” And now, the fate of these fighters hangs in the balance, and the future of GFL looks more uncertain than ever.
In its official release, the company asked the veterans to trust the brand. However, they also mentioned that fighters could leave if they wanted. This is what Paige Van Zant and former BKFC champion Alan Belcher did as they opted to become free agents after the promotion’s implosion. Amidst this chaotic scene, former UFC welterweight Matt Brown called out the entire fiasco. Taking shots at the CEO, Brown emphasized, “What a s— show. It s—s because we do need more promotions out there, I think.”
He further added, “I think there needs to be more competition out there. There needs to be someone to step up, but it’s just a tough f—— business model. I don’t know if it’s ever going to happen, maybe ever. We can talk about things that would need to happen for that to happen. It does not look good on any front. I don’t know how they get investors to do this.” Meanwhile, the fiasco with the GFL has also brought renewed attention to Tony Ferguson’s career. ‘El Cucuy’ has seemingly come forward to give us an update on his debut against Dillon Danis. Taking to his Instagram handle, Ferguson uploaded a video of himself training his abs with a caption that read, “B# Confident Full Steam Forward.”
We saw that Ferguson is in full flow! But what about his opponent, Dillon Danis? Initially, ‘El Jefe’ was optimistic about his fight with the former interim lightweight champ. However, his recent update on X has raised some eyebrows within the MMA community. The controversial fighter emphasized that he is tired of constant delays in his comeback, “Being real, I’m frustrated as hell. I wanted to stay as active as possible for myself and for everyone who supports me in 2025. First, KSI canceled on me, then said he wouldn’t be fit to reschedule. We couldn’t lock in a replacement. I said yes to everyone.”
He further added, “And now with the Tony Ferguson fight being moved, I get the criticism. I know what people say about me not fighting. I don’t want that to be the narrative, and I’ve been doing everything I can to change it. And I just want to back up everything I’ve been saying and prove I’m the best in the world. Sorry, everyone.”
So, we have to wait until June now? This seems a bit shady, especially since many GFL fighters—including some prominent names—have already jumped ship after Owens announced they were seeking funds to host the debut fight. So, what’s next? Let us have a look at it.
Tony Ferguson’s future hangs as GFL insider reveals the fiasco
‘Fight Basics’ took to their Instagram to reveal that Lloyd Pierson, who manages GFL-signed fighters like Ferguson and Urijah Faber, stated that this wasn’t just about bad luck. The post was captioned with a worrisome update coming in from the GFL. It stated, “Lloyd Pierson (who represents GFL-signed fighters like Urijah Faber and Tony Ferguson) claims that Darren Owen (GFL) shared screenshots of a GFL bank account with a $20 million balance to prove his promotion had the money on hand to back up their big talk.”
The post further added, “When asked about this, Owen told Uncrowned that his unnamed primary investor dropped that money into their account … and then pulled it right back out.” This stunt raised massive eyebrows from the entire MMA community as people started to make comments on a fake promotion.
When Dana White was asked about the promotion, he had just one thing to say: “Yeah, I don’t know enough about the GFL to really speak on it.” With the GFL’s future hanging in the balance and $20 million seemingly lost. What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments below.
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