All is not well with the GFL.
The fledgling MMA “league” was supposed to launch in May, with dates at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles just recently announced. May 24 and 25 was to host two admittedly stacked cards, had they gone down as planned.
Those dates, however, are off. News of the cancellation was confirmed by multiple sources on Wednesday, including Fight Oracle (formerly Front Row Brian) and Ariel Helwani. MMA Junkie’s Nolan King confirmed the cancellation with the California State Athletic Commission, while GFL officials provided a brief statement to Cageside Press.
“Our main investor didn’t fund his April obligation which has caused some issues however we have a solution in place,” wrote Global Fight League Founder Darren Owen. “Likely have to postpone until June but we’ll be good. Just a bump in the road but everything moving forward.”
The GFL staged a much talked-about and poorly staged “draft” back in January, which turned out to have been pre-determined. While it might have been looked at as a bump in the road and did get people talking, the cancellation of the league’s two dates in Los Angeles next month have many suspecting the promotion is the MMA equivalent of vaporware.
Numerous legendary MMA names are linked to the company, including Yoel Romero, Tony Ferguson, Holly Holm, and Urijah Faber, all of whom were expected to compete in May.
