UFC corridor of famer Urijah Faber was amongst these fighters anticipated to compete within the GFL’s inaugural occasions previous to their sudden cancellation earlier this month. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC by way of Getty Photographs)
(Chris Unger by way of Getty Photographs)
World Struggle League is failing to honor its commitments to fighters within the wake of recent event cancellations, based on longtime MMA supervisor Lloyd Pierson.
In an announcement issued to Uncrowned’s Ariel Helwani on Thursday, Pierson, who represents a number of fighters signed to the GFL, accused the group of failing to dwell as much as guarantees made to fighters, inflicting them monetary hurt.
Commercial
“At its inception, GFL got here on the MMA scene in search of consideration by promising fighters giant sums of cash,” Pierson wrote. “Many fighters relied on these guarantees and, when GFL didn’t ship, have been financially harmed and compelled to take part in extended struggle camps for bouts that now won’t happen.”
GFL just lately introduced the cancellation of planned inaugural events scheduled for Los Angeles this month, insisting that the occasions could happen in June, whereas citing funding points. This was one in all a number of troubling shifts, based on Pierson, who, as govt vice chairman and head of fight sports activities for VaynerSports, represents a number of GFL fighters together with Urijah Faber, Chris Weidman, Tony Ferguson and others.
“GFL and their CEO Darren Owen started recruiting top-level fighters throughout the previous couple of months of 2024, providing fighters giant monetary purses and guaranteeing the flexibility to struggle 3 times in the course of the 2025 calendar 12 months,” Pierson wrote in his assertion to Uncrowned. “Counting on these guarantees, many fighters left earlier promotions and made different troublesome selections for themselves and their households to pursue the GFL alternative.”
Based on Pierson, Owen tried to deal with issues concerning the GFL’s monetary stability by “circulating copies and photographs of the GFL checking account, displaying that they had over $20 million in funding.”
Commercial
Uncrowned reached out to the GFL founder Owen, who mentioned in a textual content message that he had requested proof of funds from a main investor.
“To take action, he transferred $20 million into our checking account to show he had the funds,” Owen wrote. “He transferred the funds out of the account the identical day. We had a month-to-month schedule of funds usually within the $200,000 monthly vary that he had been funding with out situation till April. Whether or not it was the market crash or him getting chilly toes, he didn’t fulfill his April obligation and subsequently halted our progress.”
Based on Pierson, the funding woes resulted in some fighters failing to obtain month-to-month stipends that have been contractually assured to them. This got here with no prior warning, Pierson mentioned, and has been accompanied by different sudden adjustments in GFL’s assurances to fighters.
Commercial
“Now, with obvious lack of funding for the GFL, Darren is asking fighters to compete free of charge,” Pierson wrote. “He has circulated a doc displaying a income share mannequin for the fighters — a whole deviation from their contracted quantities. Based on some fighters, the GFL is projecting to make virtually $4 million from this occasion on the low finish. Anybody who has been concerned with struggle promotion is aware of that that is unrealistic and flat out not truthful. The truth that these numbers are being circulated as cheap estimates clearly demonstrates the disconnect between the GFL, their viewers, and the present market.”
The supply of a income share in lieu of contracted pay was additionally talked about by former UFC fighter Alan Belcher, who on his Instagram page this week referred to GFL as “for lack of a greater phrase, a rip-off.”
Based on Belcher, after the preliminary GFL occasion cancellation, Owen supplied him “some income share and stuff if I might struggle for not a assured purse.”
Owen informed Uncrowned {that a} income share mannequin was one risk that has been mentioned informally, however no official affords of that sort have been made.
Commercial
“In an effort to stage an occasion as quickly as doable, probably with a decrease funding quantity, we’ve got explored totally different approaches to attaining this,” Owen wrote in a textual content message. “We have now mentioned the potential for fighters competing for income or revenue sharing, nonetheless we’ve got not made any selections on that nor have we made any official affords to anybody.”
Owen mentioned the GFL is in “lively negotiation with numerous traders,” and plans to proceed with occasions “when we’ve got secured the mandatory funds.”
As for claims that fighters’ stipends have been lower off, Owen mentioned that those that have been eligible for these funds had acquired them via the month of April.
“We do have some fighters that have been receiving purse advances,” Owen wrote. “I imagine all that have been eligible based mostly on their deliverables have been actually paid for April. As of now we’ve got not breached any of these agreements.”
Commercial
In his assertion, Pierson mentioned that fighters have been scuffling with sudden shifts in not solely the phrases of their agreements with GFL, but additionally the repeated adjustments surrounding occasion dates for GFL’s inaugural reveals.
“In January, GFL carried out an especially disorganized public draft course of, the place the variety of groups was unexpectedly lowered from eight to 6. Previous to and instantly following the draft, fighters have been knowledgeable that the preliminary GFL occasion would happen in late April in Los Angeles. Shortly after that announcement, the GFL moved the inaugural occasion to Might 11-12, which was confirmed in official letters to fighters and in bout agreements.
“Following this modification, Owen confirmed there would completely be no extra adjustments to this date. Once more, reassuring fighters of upcoming bouts and to proceed with the strenuous camps. Lately, with out prior warning, Owen as soon as once more modified the occasion dates to Might 24-25. Throughout this era, some fighters acquired bout agreements that didn’t align with their contracted quantities, whereas others did not obtain bout agreements in any respect,” Pierson wrote.
Based on Owen, the whole cash between bout agreements and addendums “did equal the promotional settlement quantity” for all fighters.
Commercial
“Our aim is to honor all agreements we’ve got in place,” Owen wrote. “I don’t imagine we’ve got breached any agreements as of now. We have now had one athlete up to now who has requested and acquired their launch. We are going to resume operations as quickly as doable.”
There has to this point been no official affirmation of a date and venue for any upcoming GFL occasions. Pierson known as it “extraordinarily alarming” that any fighter would nonetheless contemplate collaborating in GFL bouts beneath these situations.
“Two pervasive issues within the MMA group have been poor illustration and an absence of solidarity amongst fighters,” Pierson wrote. “We, as leaders within the illustration of fighters, should proceed to struggle for our shoppers, together with educating them towards accepting egregious offers akin to that introduced by the GFL. Moreover, the MMA group should stand collectively and acknowledge that via solidarity we will defend all fighters towards fraudulent and predatory habits by upstart struggle promoters. These skilled athletes should acknowledge their price and refuse to compete with out honest compensation.
“The GFL must safe authentic funding in the event that they want to function within the MMA house. Fighters ought to stand united in refusing to simply accept such therapy from rising promotions.”
Source link