The inaugural events for the Global Fight League, originally set for May 24th and 25th in Los Angeles, have been called off. This cancellation casts a shadow over the future of the promotion and whether it will ever officially launch.
Andy Foster, the executive director of the California State Athletic Commission, has confirmed the cancellation of both events, which were planned to take place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. MMA Fighting also received confirmation from sources close to fighters who were slated to compete, following an initial report from Yahoo! Sports.
While discussions about potentially rescheduling the events later in 2025 are ongoing, it remains unclear if the fighters who signed with GFL will remain committed to the promotion after this latest setback in its launch.
When the GFL was initially announced, the launch was first anticipated in April, before plans shifted to May in Los Angeles. With these events now canceled, the question is whether the GFL will cease to exist before it even begins operations.
Led by former PFL executive Darren Owen, the newly formed promotion quickly attracted a significant number of well-known fighters to its roster after announcing its plans to launch in 2025.
The initial two fight cards were set to feature prominent names such as Tony Ferguson, Dillon Danis, Chad Mendes, Anthony Pettis, Benson Henderson, Holly Holm, Urijah Faber, Renan Barao, Alexander Gustafsson, Paige VanZant, and Cat Zingano.
Numerous other fighters, including former UFC champion Chris Weidman, also signed with the GFL. Weidman had considered retirement before receiving an offer from the promotion, hoping it would provide an opportunity for a rematch with Luke Rockhold, another fighter signed to the GFL.
Many fighters who signed with GFL mentioned exceptionally generous financial terms in their contracts, which immediately raised questions about the long-term sustainability of the organization.
Now, with the cancellation of its first two events and no firm plans for the future, the overall prospects of the GFL appear uncertain.
