The Global Fighting League (GFL) is facing significant challenges in launching, and fans are not surprised by the cancellation of their initial events.
GFL, a new MMA promotion, had announced its first events for May 24th and 25th, marking the start of their season.
The planned main event was to feature Tony Ferguson versus Dillon Danis, and Paige VanZant was also scheduled to make her first MMA appearance since leaving the UFC.
However, the promotion`s inaugural events began to unravel last week as several fighters withdrew, including Fabricio Werdum, who cited a lack of motivation for his withdrawal.
Fan Disappointment but Not Surprise at GFL Event Postponement
Despite the debut events being scheduled for late May, an announcement on Monday revealed their postponement due to insufficient funding, raising serious questions about the promotion`s viability.
“My primary investor did not fulfill their April financial commitment, which unfortunately led to these cancellations,” GFL founder Darren Owen stated to Uncrowned.
Owen mentioned that the promotion is now aiming to launch its debut events towards the end of June, contingent on securing investment.
Nevertheless, fans have expressed little surprise at this further delay. The promotion has faced scrutiny since its announcement, particularly regarding the reportedly high fighter payouts.
“I feel sorry for the fighters who turned down other opportunities to sign with GFL. This is very unfortunate and needs to stop. Fighters deserve better treatment,” commented one fan.
Another fan speculated, “They probably realized the fighters they signed are too old and prone to injury during training camps, leading them to consider retirement.”
A third fan added, “It seemed destined to fail from the start after their ‘draft’ fiasco. It’s a shame because many fighters will miss out on their contracted earnings.”
Dillon Danis Responds to GFL`s Second Event Postponement
Despite his relatively short MMA career, Dillon Danis is a prominent and controversial figure in the sport. He was slated to headline the May 25th event against a declining Tony Ferguson.
“Bro, I just want to f****** fight. What the f***,” Danis posted on X.
However, the undefeated fighter remains optimistic that his bout with ‘El Cucuy’ will be rescheduled and will eventually happen.
“Just got word, don’t believe everything you hear. My fight with Tony Ferguson is still on,” Danis asserted.
