Tag: Chiara Penco

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.

Bellator 281: Best photos from London

Check out these photos from Bellator 281 which took place at SSE Arena in London.

Check out these photos from Bellator 281 which took place at SEE Arena in London. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA)

Full fight card announnced for Bellator Europe 8 in Milan

The full fight card for Bellator Europe 8, set for Milan, Italy on Sept. 24, has been confirmed.

The fight card for the first leg of Bellator’s Italian triple-header is now set.

Bellator Europe 8 takes place Sept. 26 at the Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy, with a 10-fight preliminary card setting the stage ahead of a three-bout all-middleweight main card.

Headlining the event is a battle of European middleweight contenders as England’s [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) takes on the Netherlands’ [autotag]Costello van Steenis[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA).

Co-main event support comes in the form of an Italy vs. England clash, as former Venator middleweight champion [autotag]Pietro Penini[/autotag] (9-1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) faces off against former BAMMA 185-pound champ [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA). Kicking off the main card is a battle between hard-hitting 185-pounders as Ireland’s Will Fleury (7-3 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) takes on England’s Kent Kauppinen (12-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA).

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The preliminary card features a battle between British lightweight prospects as [autotag]Alfie Davis[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Akonne Wanliss[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), while former Cage Warriors featherweight tournament champion Aiden Lee (8-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) takes on seasoned Canadian veteran Jeremy Petley (13-8-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA)

With the additions, the Bellator Europe 8 card now includes:

MAIN CARD

  • Fabian Edwards vs. Costello van Steenis
  • Pietro Penini vs. Mike Shipman
  • Will Fleury vs. Kent Kauppinen

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie)

  • [autotag]George Hardwick[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Nicolo Solli[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Ion Pascu[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Stefano Paterno[/autotag]
  • Alfie Davis vs. Akonne Wanliss
  • [autotag]Gavin Hughes[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Daniele Scatizzi[/autotag]
  • Aiden Lee vs. Jeremy Petley
  • [autotag]Frans Mlambo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cory Tait[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Alex O’Toole[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Luke Trainer[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Harry Hardwick[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Richie Smullen[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Chiara Penco[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Aleksandra Toncheva[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Claire Lopez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Danni Neilan[/autotag]

Bellator Europe 7: Aaron Chalmers lands Dublin showcase as Bellator adds six more bouts to Feb. 22 lineup

Aaron Chalmers heads the list as Bellator confirms six more matchups for their return to Dublin on Feb. 22.

The fight card for Bellator’s first European Series event of 2020 in Dublin is starting to take shape, with the promotion’s officials confirming six more bouts to take the number of announced matchups to 10.

[autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag] will headline Bellator Europe 7 at the 3Arena on Feb. 22 against [autotag]Cal Ellenor[/autotag] in a rebooking of their canceled matchup in Dublin at Bellator Europe 4 in September.

Now that bout has been joined by a main card addition, with England’s [autotag]Aaron Chalmers[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) moving back up to 170 pounds to take on promotional newcomer [autotag]Austin Clem[/autotag] (3-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), who arrives in Bellator with a 100% finish rate, with all three of his wins coming via submission.

Former MTV star and Geordie Shore castmate Chalmers is now 100% committed to his MMA career, and after bouncing back from his first career defeat with a submission victory over Fred Freeman at Bellator Europe 3, the 32-year-old Englishman has opted to move up to his more natural weight class of welterweight for his next outing in Ireland.

Also confirmed for Dublin is Irish light heavyweight fan favorite [autotag]Will Fleury[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 2-2 BMMA), who returns to action looking to bounce back from his decision loss in Dublin in September. His knock-down, drag-out battle with Norbert Novenyi was one of the fights of the night at Bellator Europe 4, and Fleury will look to produce a similarly entertaining performance – albeit with a different result – when he takes on England’s [autotag]Justin Moore[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA).

Fleury’s SBG teammate [autotag]Richie Smullen[/autotag] (5-1-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) has also been handed a matchup on home soil as he bids to complete a hat-trick of successive wins in Dublin by adding the name of [autotag]Ranjeet Baria[/autotag] (3-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) to his list of victims on home soil.

[lawrence-related id=447559,416782,382322]

Also looking to build on their last appearance at the 3Arena is Irish strawweight [autotag]Danni Neilan[/autotag] (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), who will look to make it two wins out of two to kick off her professional MMA career when she faces off against Italian newcomer [autotag]Chiara Penco[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), while fellow Irish prospect [autotag]Blaine O’Driscoll[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Ezzoubair Bouarsa[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at 125 pounds.

Joining the local Irish stars on the card will be a European welterweight clash between Sweden’s [autotag]Oliver Enkamp[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and Wales’ [autotag]Lewis Long[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), who both kicked off their respective Bellator careers with impressive wins last time out.

Enkamp finished Walter Gahadza via rear-naked choke with six seconds remaining of the opening round at Bellator 223, while Long finished the same opponent, via the same technique, three minutes, 10 seconds quicker than the Swede at Bellator Europe 6 in London on Nov. 23.

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Bellator Europe 7 confirmed fights include:

MAIN CARD

  • James Gallagher vs. Cal Ellenor
  • Aaron Chalmers vs. Austin Clem

PRELIMINARY CARD

  • Oliver Enkamp vs. Lewis Long
  • Philip Mulpeter vs. Daniel Crawford
  • Ryan Roddy vs. Chris Duncan
  • Karl Moore vs. Arunas Andriuskevicus
  • Will Fleury vs. Justin Moore
  • Danni Neilan vs. Chiara Penco
  • Blaine O’Driscoll vs. Ezzoubair Boarsa
  • Richie Smullen vs. Ranjeet Baria