Global Fight League announced the launch of a new team-based promotion with all sorts of benefits to fighter jets, and made a big splash when signing the roster of dozens of past champions and sports legends.
Recently, the GFL began announcing Chris Wideman’s long-awaited rematch with Luke Rockhold and fights like Tony Ferguson. In fact, GFL has not officially released details about the first show of the promotion or where the fight with no broadcast contracts could air.
Light heavyweight veteran and UFC analyst Anthony Smith has never dealt with the GFL, but looking out, he has heard a lot about them from other fighters and he has doubts about whether promotions will fall off the ground.
“That’s weird,” Smith told MMA Fighting. “I’m not on sale completely yet. They haven’t held events yet, and I don’t know anything about the promotions other than the fighter they signed on. From what I’ve heard through the fighter grapevine, they’re paying crazy money, so I don’t think it’s going to be that long.
“The old model has been tested many times and it’s not working. I don’t know what they’re doing, other than throwing a lot of money at old, aged fighters, it’s nothing different to what everyone else does.”
The list of prominent names that have signed with the GFL is surprising, with more than a few fighters returning from retirement, where they have the opportunity to fight and perhaps cash out big salaries.
One of the biggest names that stood out when GFL was released was former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. That loss concluded a three-game skid for Brazilian legend, and it seemed like the perfect time to leave the sport.
Currently, the general has not only been signed to the GFL, but the promotion announced that it is expected to clash with Joel Romero when he returns to action.
Another name on the GFL roster is Tony Ferguson. Tony Ferguson was temporarily considering resigning after losing eight consecutive fights. Ferguson suffered long streaks, but Smith actually has far less beef to fight him again than he’s seen the general take a punch at age 43 after a career he already had.
“I get what the guys are doing, especially if you’re just sitting there, I’ll take such a big old fat check,” Smith said. “You’re not doing anything and most people are still training, so they just stay in the gym, so they’re still going out with teammates, partners, etc. So I think they’re all in decent form. There are a few things I don’t like. There’s one general.
“In fact, I don’t hate Tony’s that much. If you see the run that Tony was on, even the skid he was on is not that they’re a bunch of bunches he’s losing. They’re still good fighters and competitive people. But I think they like it more for Tony because there’s nothing Tony does. If Tony Ferguson gets this from him, what will he do? I don’t know. If he doesn’t have this outlet, I’m scared of Tony. I love Tony Ferguson. If this is what he wants, then Tony Ferguson is one of the kind people who give him what he wants. Shogun bothers me. It’s a lot of miles. It’s a lot of war and he doesn’t always want him to be there. It’s never a question if Tony Ferguson wants to be there. The last few general appearances, it didn’t look like he wanted to be there.”
That said, Smith was impressed with some of the fighters on the GFL’s roster, but he almost certainly knows that the same athletes have a promise to make a huge payday to go there.
So far, Smith doesn’t raise too many concerns until GFL actually does its first show.
“I don’t know how important they are because they haven’t been selling for so long,” Smith said. “But what really shocked me was, like where you guys got it (Alexander) Gustafson, who was really shocked? How did you understand that? As I thought, he lived his best life with his beautiful family and just hid in Stockholm, the king of Sweden, they take medicines to him too.
“They have to be a big check. I’ve heard they’re big, but if they can drag someone like Alexander Gustafson out, they have to rock a big hammer.”