Tag: Alan Belcher

Global Fight League announces launch, roster includes giant list of former UFC fighters

GFL has arrived – and it’s bringing fairly massive names from UFC yesteryears with it.

A new player has entered the MMA landscape, and it has arrived with some big names.

Wednesday, Global Fight League (GFL) announced its official launch will come in the opening weeks of 2025. The GFL concept differs from that of UFC and PFL.

While it has a league format and playoffs, it is also team-based and has a draft. There will be six franchises (names and cities to follow). The draft is scheduled for Jan. 24, with an inaugural event to follow in April.

Who’s fighting?

Co-founder Darren Owen revealed on “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Wednesday that the promotion has over 300 fighters under contract. Not all fighters will be drafted.

Of the 92 fighters posted to the promotion’s official website, 45 of them are former UFC fighters. Names include Tyron Woodley, Anthony Pettis, Benson Henderson, Gegard Mousasi, Wanderlei Silva, Frank Mir, Andrei Arlovski, Kevin Lee, Fabricio Werdum, and Junior Dos Santos among others.

Scroll below to see the released names:

  • [autotag]Marcel Adur[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Amirkhon Alikhuzhaev[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Omar Arteaga[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Stuart Austin[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Deberson Batista[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Raimundo Batista[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Stephen Beaumont[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Alan Belcher[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Claudeci Brito[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Will Brooks[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Yan Cabral[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Alexsandro Cangaty[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Rafael Carvalho[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Alexa Conners[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Ayton de Paepe[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Patrizio de Souza[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Marcelo Dias[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Miao Ding[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Cameron Else[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Tonya Evinger[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Kalindra Faria[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Marciano Ferreira[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Chauncey Foxworth[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Glaico Franca[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Andre Harrison[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Phil Hawes[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Guto Inocente[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Michael Irizarry[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag]
  • [autotag]William Lima[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Ruan Machado[/autotag]
  • [autotag]John Makdessi[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Lucas Martins[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Aleksandr Maslov[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Jordan Mein[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Dominick Meriweather[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Silvania Monteiro[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Killys Motta[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Bi Nguyen[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Ayinda Octave[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Renan Oliveira[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Karolina Owczarz[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Oscar Ownsworth[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Denis Palancica[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Rousimar Palharaes[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Chiara Penco[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Jefferson Pontes[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Cleiton Silva[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Wanderlei Silva[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Julio Spadaccini[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Andre Soukhamthath[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Roggers Souza[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Gabriel Souza Galindo[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Mohamed Tarek Mohey[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Diego Teixeira[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Oli Thompson[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Austin Tweedy[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Feruz Usmonov[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Jozef Wittner[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag]

What does GFL provide athletes that other promotions don’t?

According to Owen, GFL offers fighters a 50-50 split in revenue sharing. Additionally, the promotion provides comprehensive support for training and medical bills, retirement benefits, insurance coverage, and more.

Who is behind GFL and where is the money coming from?

Owen is listed as the co-founder and commissioner for GFL and serves essentially as the public face for the promotion. He served as COO of PFL vs. October 2015 to May 2020 and was the founder and CEO of World Series of Fighting Canada, according to his LinkedIn page.

Also listed on the promotion’s website are Arun Parimi (co-founder and COO), Scott Parker (CMO), and Jeffrey Pollack (senior advisor).

Owen declined to identify the source of the funds behind the operation, but did say it’s a silicon valley investor.

How does the regular season work?

Similarly to PFL, GFL has a point system for regular season fights.

A finish victory notches a fighter’s team four points. A decision win earns three points. A draw earns two points. A decision loss earns one point. If a fighter loses by finish, he or she walks away with zero points.

Video: Ex-UFC champ Junior Dos Santos wins Gamebred title in bloodbath vs. Alan Belcher

Junior Dos Santos took the gloves off to become a champion once again.

[autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] took the gloves off to become a champion once again.

At Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA on Saturday at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla., Dos Santos defeated fellow ex-UFC fighter [autotag]Alan Belcher[/autotag] to become the promotion’s first-ever heavyweight champion.

Blood covered portions of the canvas, though the fight only lasted a little over nine minutes with the stoppage at 4:39 of Round 2.

Both men had their moments throughout the bout, but Dos Santos had the final one. As the clock wound down in Round 2, Dos Santos connected with a big left hook that floored Belcher. Dos Santos rained down right hands until the referee stepped in, saving Belcher from further damage.

Dos Santos, 40, was elated after the fight as he hinted at a potential next fight vs. Roy Nelson, a fellow heavyweight staple who he defeated at UFC 117 in August 2010. Dos Santos moves to 2-1 post-UFC. Following his UFC departure, Dos Santos lost by TKO due to injury against Yorgan De Castro under the Eagle FC banner before a successful bareknuckle MMA debut vs. Fabricio Werdum.

Belcher, 39, loses for the first time in combat sports in over a decade. His previous loss was at UFC 159 vs. Michael Bisping. The bout was his final in the UFC and preceded an eight-year hiatus from competition.

In 2021, Belcher, a former middleweight, returned as a heavyweight. Before Saturday, he went 5-0 in gloved boxing, 4-0 in bareknuckle boxing, and 1-0 in bareknuckle MMA.

The full Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA results include:

  • Junior Dos Santos def. Alan Belcher via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:39 – for heavyweight title
  • Chase Sherman def. Alex Nicholson via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:57
  • Handesson Ferreira def. Karl Roberson via unanimous decision
  • TJ Brown def. Joshua Weems via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 0:22
  • Jesse Ronson def. Anthony Njokuani via submission (kimura) – Round 1, 2:46
  • Brandon Jenkins def. Tyler Hill via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 2:12
  • Anvar Boynazarov def. Marlon Gonzales via knockout (knee and punches) – Round 1, 0:13
  • Joe Penafiel def. Charles Bennett via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 3, 3:49

Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA results, full event video: Junior Dos Santos vs. Alan Belcher

Watch the Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA replay for free here, including Junior Dos Santos vs. Alan Belcher and more!

Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA returned Saturday with a former UFC heavyweight champion atop the card.

The eight-fight event took place at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla., with a handful of notable names throughout the card .

Check out the replay video above and full results below:

Photos: Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs

Check out these photos from the Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA weigh-ins and final fighter faceoffs in Florida.

Check out these photos from the Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs ahead of the event featuring [autotag]Junior dos Santos[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alan Belcher[/autotag], which takes place at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla. (Photos courtesy of Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA)

11 former UFC fighters set to compete at Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA

Nearly a dozen UFC vets are set for the next iteration of Jorge Masvidal’s gloveless MMA promotion.

Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA is back with more UFC alumni than ever before.

The next iteration of [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]’s gloveless MMA promotion takes place March 2 at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla., and features 11 former UFC fighters on the fight card. The event will stream live and free on YouTube.

The event will be the fourth of its kind. The promotion held three events in 2023, all of which featured various notable names.

Scroll below to see the near-dozen UFC alumni set to compete.

Junior Dos Santos vs. Alan Belcher inaugural Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA heavyweight title fight set on March 2

Junior Dos Santos and Alan Belcher will decide the inaugural heavyweight champ of Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA organization.

[autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] and [autotag]Alan Belcher[/autotag] will make history when they decide the inaugural heavyweight champion of Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA organization.

Masvidal announced on Tuesday that former UFC heavyweight champion Dos Santos and former BKFC heavyweight champ Belcher will clash in a five-round gloveless MMA contest on March 2 at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla. Broadcast plans were not revealed, but tickets go on sale Jan. 17.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C15wV8zNLnt

Dos Santos, 39, earned his position in the title bout with a split decision victory over fellow ex-UFC titleholder Fabricio Werdum at Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 5 in September.

Belcher, 39, meanwhile, defeated longtime veteran Roy Nelson by split decision at Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA in November to punch his ticket in the title bout.

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Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 6 results: Alan Belcher wins gritty split over Roy Nelson

Watch the full Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 6 event, where Alan Belcher defeated Roy Nelson in a hard-fought split decision.

Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 6 took place Friday and you can watch a replay of the event on MMA Junkie.

The bareknuckle MMA event took place at Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss., and featured multiple UFC veterans, including the headlining matchup.

Former UFC heavyweights [autotag]Alan Belcher[/autotag] and [autotag]Roy Nelson[/autotag] clashed in the main event. It was a hard-fought three-round affair in which both fighters had their moments. The judges were ultimately split in their decision, crowning Belcher the winner by dueling 29-28 scores.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzfoIEFsPS3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Belcher brought more gloveless fighting experience with four bareknuckle boxing fights while Nelson previously competed in bareknuckle MMA once.

The co-feature saw another pair of UFC veterans throw down without gloves as featherweights [autotag]Randy Costa[/autotag] and [autotag]Jason Knight[/autotag] met. Costa made quick work of Knight with a violent first round knockout.

Other UFC veterans in action included [autotag]Curtis Millender[/autotag], [autotag]Chase Sherman[/autotag], [autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag], [autotag]Brandon Davis[/autotag], [autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag], [autotag]Sasha Palatnikov[/autotag], [autotag]Alex Nicholson[/autotag] and [autotag]Joshua Weems[/autotag].

Watch a replay of the event above and check out the full official results below.

Official results of Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 6 include:

  • Alan Belcher def. Roy Nelson via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Randy Costa def. Jason Knight via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:41
  • Chase Sherman def. Carl Seumanutafa via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:34
  • Brandon Davis def. Joe Penafiel via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Curtis Millender def. Joel Bauman via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Junior Maranhao def. Joshua Weems via submission (kimura) – Round 3, 2:41
  • Alex Nicholson def. Prince McLean via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:19
  • Francisco Trinaldo def. Sasha Palatnikov via TKO (injury) – Round 1, 1:55
  • Hector Lombard def. Chris Sarro via submission (strikes)  – Round 1, 1:09
  • Tyler Hill def. James Freeman via TKO (elbows) – Round 1, 2:48
  • Michael Sanford def. Christopher Wingate via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:47

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UFC veterans in MMA, boxing, and bareknuckle MMA action Nov. 8-12

Check out which veterans of the UFC are competing in combat sports across the globe this weekend.

This week, the UFC returns to New York for a big pay-per-view event at Madison Square Garden.

UFC 295 features a pair of title fights in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. In the co-feature, [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] for the interim heavyweight title, while [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] meets [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] for the vacant light heavyweight crown in the main event.

Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing in MMA, bareknuckle MMA and boxing Nov. 8-12.

Scroll below to see how the UFC veterans fared last week, and see the names and details of this weekend’s competitors.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.

12 former UFC fighters added to Jorge Masvidal’s Gambred Bareknuckle MMA event

A dozen UFC alumni have been booked for Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA in Mississippi.

[autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA is still in its infancy, but the former UFC star continues to attach notoriety to his budding promotion by bringing in notable names.

The next installment of Gambred Bareknuckle MMA takes place Friday, Nov. 10 at Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss. and features a dozen (and counting) former UFC fighters, including a former headliner, a “TUF” winner, and more.

Should the promotion keep with the rhythm of its past events, the card will stream live and free on YouTube.

Below, check out which UFC notables of yesteryear are competing on the card:

UFC alums Roy Nelson, Alan Belcher to fight for Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA heavyweight title

According to Jorge Masvidal, the winner of Junior Dos Santos vs. Fabricio Werdum will face the winner of Roy Nelson vs. Alan Belcher.

Two days out from a bareknuckle battle between former UFC heavyweight champions [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] and [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag], Gamebred Boxing promoter Jorge Masvidal has announced elevated stakes.

Dos Santos and Werdum will meet in a gloveless MMA fight Friday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The winner, Masvidal revealed at a news conference Wednesday, will face the winner of another heavyweight bareknuckle MMA fight, [autotag]Alan Belcher[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Roy Nelson[/autotag], freshly minted for an Oct. 28 show at Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss.

Nelson vs. Belcher will be for the promotion’s heavyweight title. No other fights have been announced for the Oct. 28 event at this time.

“The winner of that will face the winner of this sometime in January, we’re hopeful,” Masvidal said. “Hard Rock Stadium. Hard Rock Casino. We’ll keep these guys busy, just as we promised them. That’s f*cking huge news. We’re excited.”

Masvidal also revealed plans to hold an event in December.

Nelson headlined a Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA event in May when he knocked out bareknuckle boxing standout Dillon Cleckler in Round 1. The competition was Nelson’s first since his Bellator departure in late 2020. Nelson competed in the UFC from 2010-2017 and compiled a 9-10 promotional record.

In joining Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA, Belcher has departed BKFC, a promotion he was a part of since 2021. Belcher competed in the UFC from 2006-2013 and compiled a 9-6 promotional record, largely at middleweight. After eight years away from competition, Belcher returned as a heavyweight and has yet to lose. Belcher was 4-0 under the BKFC banner while also competing outside the promotion in traditional boxing where he won five pro bout and one exhibition.