The Global Fight League (GFL) has cancelled its inaugural events, which were planned for May 24 and 25 in Los Angeles. This cancellation raises concerns about whether the fight promotion will ever actually launch.
Andy Foster, the executive director of the California State Athletic Commission, verified that both events scheduled at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles have been cancelled. Furthermore, sources close to fighters who were supposed to compete confirmed this news.
While there are ongoing discussions about possibly rescheduling the events later in 2025, it remains unclear if the fighters contracted with GFL will remain with the promotion after this recent setback.
Under the leadership of former PFL executive Darren Owen, the newly formed promotion quickly signed numerous well-known fighters after announcing its launch plans for 2025.
The initial 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 also signed with the GFL, including former UFC champion Chris Weidman, who had considered retirement before accepting an offer from the promotion in hopes of securing a rematch against Luke Rockhold – another fighter signed to the roster.
Many fighters who signed with GFL mentioned the very generous financial terms offered in their contracts, which immediately prompted doubts about the long-term sustainability of the organization.
Now, with the first two events cancelled and no firm plans for the future, the entire future of the GFL appears uncertain.
Wesley Dunham 
Marcus Blakely