'Geriatric Fight League'… Mixed response from MMA fanbase to new team-based promotion set to launch in 2025
12/12/2024 04:14 AM
A brand-new MMA promotion called the Global Fight League is set to launch in 2025, with multiple well-known names and former UFC champions confirmed to be part of the roster.
There's been a mixed response to the Global Fight League announcement, with fans praising the new team-based model and pay structure but criticizing the focus on many former UFC stars – many of whom are now well into their late 30s or early 40s.
New MMA promotion 'Global Fight League' announced with multiple ex-UFC champs
As confirmed earlier this week by founder Darren Owen, the first season of the Global Fight League will start in April 2025, with the executives set to meet with potential broadcast partners in January of next year.
The new promotion will reportedly feature six teams, comprised of a total of 20 fighters, two from 10 different weight classes – and there are some pretty big names attached to the project.
Already confirmed for the GFL roster are former UFC champions Tyron Woodley, Luke Rockhold, Benson Henderson, Anthony Pettis, Andrei Arlovski, Frank Mir, Fabricio Werdum, and Junior dos Santos.
Other fighters confirmed for the GFL include Wanderlei Silva, Alex Gustafsson, Hector Lombard, Thiago Santos, Kevin Lee, Jeremy Stephens, Marlon Moraes, Gegard Mousasi, Greg Hardy, Robelis Despaigne, Bubba Jenkins, Tanner Boser, Philipe Lins, and Will Brooks.
As stated via a press release, the new promotion "seeks to redefine the business model and enhance competition in mixed martial arts," with a 50/50 revenue split with the fighters.
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MMA fans react to the new GFL announcement and roster of talent
Whilst MMA fans are praising the new team-based and fighter pay model, that isn't to say that the response has been positive across the board.
On the r/MMA subreddit for example, the top comments take issue with the age of those ex-UFC stars confirmed, trolling the new promotion as the "Geriatric Fight League," or "Grandfather League," – or more to the point, "Good F***** Luck."
"Oh s***, this is so sad," wrote one fan, with another adding how they "got so f***** depressed looking at this poster just now."
There are also multiple comments revolving around the GLF being a good idea in principle, but with many of the stars being so close to (or so far past) retirement age, also calls the sustainability of the promotion into question.
"Hope it succeeds. Will watch. Would even buy PPVs under 50 bucks. Highly skeptical we get single card, let alone a consistent well run promotion."
"Maybe we’ll get a few good fights out of older fighters, but it won’t last long."
Many of the same sentiments have been echoed on X (Twitter), with popular MMA personality Ben Davies noting how "Pretty damn good roster But man – GFL still has so many question marks around it, very curious to see what they do."
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"As much as I love some of these names, I feel like they shouldn’t ever fight again for their own good," wrote one user, with another claiming that the average athlete age is sitting at around 38.
"Is this the grandparents fighter league?! Have to be over 45 to fight in this league?"
We'll have to wait and see whether the GFL has the staying power to compete with the other big names in the MMA space; expect more news in January 2025 after the meeting with prospective broadcast partners.
