Fallout from the Global Fight League canceling their big debut weekend double-header continues to reverberate through the MMA scene as around 60 aging fighters come to terms with the reality that the big money contracts they signed aren’t going to cash out.
The GFL arrived on the scene in dubious fashion after multiple years of delay and scant details on where the money was coming from to pay reportedly huge fighter contracts. But GFL head Darren Owen was an established name in the sport that helped run Word Series of Fighting and PFL. So many fighters were willing to overlook many warning signs in the hope that the promotion would at least get rolling before the wheels fell off.
That was not the case. GFL held a draft event to assign fighters to teams (don’t get us started on that), but recently announced that their May 17th/18th events were being cancelled. Or postponed? We had gotten reports that Owen was contacting fighters with a ‘revenue share plan,’ which GFL signee and former UFC fighter Alan Belcher discussed in a new Instagram video.
“Man, it seems like it’s all just a big … I don’t know, for lack of a better word, scam?” Belcher said. “I don’t know, man. But that’s just what it looks like. There wasn’t any proof of the money that was supposed to be paid to the fighters, and we all got screwed on this one.”
“He is still trying to make the fight happen. I talked to Darren the other day, and he offered to give me some revenue share and stuff if I would fight for not a guaranteed purse.”
GFL critic FightOracle got his hands on a spreadsheet being shared with fighters on the revenue share and noted it was a profit share, meaning the event had to break even before anyone else got paid. And with the numbers Owen was sharing, that was not likely.
“He’s projecting event revenue of $5 million for 1 event minus $1.3 million to produce,” FightOracle tweeted. “The $5 million figure is the low end projection. High end $11 million plus. Projected profit $3.75 million. The $3.75 million would be paid out to 30 fighters (15 fights). Main event gets combined 30% of the $3.75 million profit or $562,500 each.”
“He’s projecting $3 million in media rights, $800k in ticket sales, $1 million in sponsorships, $250k in merch. These are the low end projections. These are completely unobtainable figures. This is FYRE FESTIVAL.”
Fyre Festival was the infamous 2017 music fest with $1500 tickets that stranded attendees in an abandoned parking lot on a remote corner of an island with barely any food and water. Many lawsuits and documentaries were launched over the event, but that didn’t stop the shameless promoters from launching Fyre Fest 2, coming at the end of May.
Reminds me of COVID era pro wrestling startups. Lots of promises and names and a really bad business plan.
Count Alan Belcher among the growing list of fighters angry about the GFL cancelling its debut shows with no real indication about when or if the promotion is still going to launch.
The former BKFC heavyweight champion signed with GFL, and he was slated to make his debut as part of the originally scheduled events on May 24 and May 25 in Los Angeles with a fight booked against Stuart Austin. Instead, Belcher found out along with the rest of the world that the GFL pulled the plug on the shows with founder Darren Owen later claiming that the organization’s “primary investor was unable to meet their funding commitment.”
As part of the same statement, Owen said that while he still planned to launch the GFL at a later date, “any athlete may request an immediate release.” While he didn’t explicitly state that he asked for his release, Belcher sounded angry about how the whole ordeal played out.
“The GFL is f*cking cancelled, guys,” Belcher said on Instagram. “First off, I feel really bad for any of you guys that got flights. I had a lot of people that were supporting me that — I don’t think there was ever any tickets sold — but some people had already changed their plans and got flights to go out there to L.A. to watch me fight.
“It seems like it’s all just a big, lack of a better word, scam. I don’t know. That’s just what it looks like. There wasn’t any proof of the money that was supposed to be paid to the fighters. We all got screwed on this one.”
While there’s plenty of doubt about the future of the GFL, Owen is reportedly attempting to push forward, but Belcher revealed that he was asked to stay on the debut card without a guaranteed purse for his payment.
“He is still trying to make the fight happen,” Belcher said. “I talked to Darren the other day and he offered to give me some revenue share and stuff if I would fight for not a guaranteed purse.”
In the same post on social media, Belcher tagged several promoters including Mams Taylor, who runs Misfits Boxing, as well as BKFC founder and president David Feldman while adding “new fight announcement will come soon I’m sure.”
Belcher was one of numerous veteran fighters to sign with the GFL after the promotion was first announced in 2024. Unfortunately, doubts about the viability of the organization started swirling as delays in the debut show continued to mount.
Ultimately, the first two cards were announced and then cancelled within just a few weeks’ time, and it’s unclear if or when GFL might actually hold an event.
Hollywood accounting goes a long way in protecting the owner’s share of revenue to be “paid out in other costs” which are to companies set up by the owner that he pays as part of the paid out in other costs.
Been there, done that. I know people who pull this sham all the time and yet they have a yacht and I don’t.
Revenue sharing…sharing zero profits with all the fighters.
After covering costs of course they will make $800 dollars in profit. Split that 12 ways.
Dont spend it all at once fellas.
If it loses money, do the fighters have to pay?
Better read the fine print.
The GFL just felt scummy from the start. Shitty for the fighters.
What I don’t get is how you snag so many notable fighters that can see mismanagement from a mile away and let out a wet fart with all of them.
Wet farts are stinkier than normal farts.
This part is easy…they don’t have any other alternatives. No one was snagged up. They all signed on hoping to continue careers and cash in. Ultimately that doesn’t look like it’s happening.
Not a lot of options for aging fighters though - don’t isn’t that difficult to get them to commit to making money should the opportunity arise
As far as profit sharing goes, X times zero is still zero last time I checked
Screen name checks out
I spoke to the guy heading it up a couple of times when they were raising money. I considered investing a couple of times.
I never got a scam vibe from him. There was a lot of work and effort put in here over a long period of time. I believe this is purely just due to lack of financing, funding, investment - however you want to put it.
Markets are tough over the last few years and there really isn’t a lot of great examples of starting a new sporting league that has UFC as direct competition. It’s extremely difficult and very expensive. Better to do something niche in the same arena - bare knuckle, slaps, etc
I didn’t invest in the end as I think it’s an insane uphill battle - but didn’t think scam.
I Totally Agree Here !!!
The whole presentation felt amateur. Starting a new MMA promotion in 2025 is not a smart investment. Unless you have big pockets. Hopefully they can secure the necessary funding.