Tag: Frank Mir

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.

UFC heavyweight fighter panel including Daniel Cormier, Stipe Miocic predicts UFC 285’s Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane

Before the UFC 285 ceremonial weigh-ins, an illustrious panel of heavyweights gave their predictions on Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane.

LAS VEGAS – The main event of UFC 285 between [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] has some torn in their predictions, but a panel featuring Hall of Famers, former champions, and a current contender seem to be on the same page.

Former light heavyweight king Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) will be making his heavyweight debut against former interim champ Gane (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) at the T-Mobile Arena, with the winner claiming the vacant heavyweight title.

Before the UFC 285 ceremonial weigh-ins, a heavyweight panel participated in a fan Q&A. On stage alongside UFC commentator Jon Anik were Hall of Famers [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] and [autotag]Mark Coleman[/autotag], along with former champs [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] and [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag]. [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag], the No. 6 heavyweight contender in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie heavyweight rankings was also on stage.

Each member of the panel gave their take on how the heavyweight title fight between Jones and Gane will play out. Check out their predictions below.

Former UFC champ Frank Mir targets retirement fight on same card as daughter Bella

MMA legend Frank Mir wants his retirement fight to be a family affair.

[autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] wants his retirement from combat sports to be a special moment.

For Mir (19-13), that doesn’t mean making it all about him. He’s not looking for some big selfish moment. In fact, he wants to share the spotlight with his daughter, [autotag]Bella Mir[/autotag].

Mir, a two-time UFC heavyweight champion who hasn’t competed in MMA since a unanimous decision win over Roy Nelson at Bellator 231 in October 2019, is looking to put a bow on his career in 2023.

Nothing would make him happier than to bow out from competition on the same card as Bella, who at 19 is already 3-0 and arguably the biggest prospect in women’s MMA.

As Bella looks to flourish in her own career, her father is taking a critical role as a coach and mentor. Mir, 43, has said his daughter has potential to be greater than he ever was, and he thinks a farewell fight packaged alongside Bella’s next bout would a unique next step.

“Next year, I’m going to go ahead and fight again because I want to fight once on the same card as Bella as my last fight,” Mir told the “Thiccc Boy” podcast with Brendan Schaub. “She can headline the card. I can open it. How many times is that going to happen in history? Barring lightning striking or a car accident or something retarded, Bella is UFC champ, or champ of whatever league she wants to join. It’s a no-brainer.”

Bella made her MMA debut as a 17-year-old. She picked up two wins in two months, but then took an 18-month hiatus while she focused on wrestling competition and other elements of her game. She returned in June and picked up a first-round submission win.

The fourth fight of Bella’s career has yet to be scheduled, but so far she’s shown big potential. Mir said it’s not a question of if his daughter will be great, but exactly how great she will be. In his mind, there’s no ceiling, and he’s ready to throw his full attention behind that following a final retirement bout.

“It’s like me when I look at Bo Nickal,” Mir said. “I’m like, ‘What do you think is going to happen to that guy?’ I’m like, ‘He’s the champion, dude. Lose weight or get a bigger weight class.'”

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Video: Bella Mir improves to 3-0 with finish, vows to be ‘bigger icon’ in MMA than father Frank

“I’m going to be a bigger icon. My dad set the bar, and I’m going to set it higher.”

[autotag]Bella Mir[/autotag] continues to show signs she’s going to be an elite MMA prospect with another win in her young career.

Mir (3-0), the 18-year-old daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag], added a slick submission win to her record Friday at XFN 381, forcing opponent Jessica Link (0-1) to tap out with a nasty armbar.

Check out the replay of the finish below (via Twitter):

XFN 381 took place at River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, Okla., which streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

After making her MMA debut as a 17-year-old in October 2020, Mir got her second victory in December 2020. She took 18 months off between fights, though, as she competes as a highly-regarded amateur wrestler in Nevada.

It’s clear she was working diligently on her game in the time off because she secured her first career submission against Link.

There is an immense amount of pressure on Mir to succeed her father in the sport, but she made it clear afterward that she’s more than ready to not only live up to it, but also surpass it.

“I just want to say that I’m going to be a bigger icon. My dad set the bar, and I’m going to set it higher. That’s my goal.”

David Feldman announces Triller’s majority stake acquisition of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

Founder of the bareknuckle promotion announced Triller has acquired a majority of the company.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has a new majority stakeholder.

On Wednesday, the founder of the promotion,[autotag] David Feldman[/autotag], announced Triller, a social media company that has expanded into the promotion of boxing and other combat sports events, has acquired a majority stake of BKFC.

BKFC was founded in 2018, bringing sanctioned bareknuckle boxing events to the United States for the first time since the late 1800s. The popularity of the promotion has attracted many notable combat sports athletes who made their names in traditional boxing and mixed martial arts. A number of UFC veterans have tested their skills under the BKFC banner including [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag], [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag], [autotag]Artem Lobov[/autotag], [autotag]Bec Rawlings[/autotag], [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag], [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag], and many others.

“We got to a point where we’re pretty well accepted among the combat sports community right now, and we needed to make a partnership that was going to take us to the next level,” Feldman said on The MMA Hour. “Create more opportunities, more resources, more funding, more things like that to acquire some more fighters, take care of the fighters that are already there, and just create more opportunities for everybody.”

Feldman stated the combat sport is currently legal in 14 states, with the goal of reaching 22 by the end of 2022. He continued to explain how the acquisition by Triller will not change how BKFC events are currently promoted, nor cause a change in broadcasting plans.

“Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship will remain as-is,” Feldman stated. “We will be self-sustained as far as operations continue, the fighters, everything. Nothing is really going to change in the operations of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, we’re now just going to have more assets, more resources, and more possibilities.”

Triller has hosted a number of boxing events and special rules combat sports events like Triad Combat since entering the fight game in 2020. The company promoted pay-per-view events featuring legends of boxing and MMA, creating matchups such as Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. and [autotag]Vitor Belfort[/autotag] vs. Evander Holyfield.

Triller’s first Triad Combat event, which pitted teams of MMA fighters against boxers with special rules inside a triangular boxing ring, was headlined by former UFC champion [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] against boxing’s Kubrat Pulev.

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Triller Triad Combat medical suspensions: One fighter out indefinitely

All fighters competing on the card were suspended by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, though many won’t have to wait long.

Triller debuted Triad Combat this past Saturday, and a handful of notable boxing and MMA fighters squared off under a hybrid ruleset.

Among those who competed were former boxing champion [autotag]Kubrat Pulev[/autotag], former UFC champion [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag], former UFC welterweight [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag], former UFC welterweight [autotag]Albert Tumenov[/autotag], former Bellator featherweight [autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag], and former Bellator and UFC heavyweight contender [autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag], among others.

Following the completion of their respective bouts, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), which regulated the event at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, handed out medical suspensions to all 14 competitors. Unlike some other commissioning bodies, the TDLR does not reveal the specific injuries or reasons the fighters have been suspended.

While the majority of the card were given suspensions under one month, undercard fighter [autotag]Angelina Hoffschneider[/autotag] is facing an indefinite layoff after a first-round knockout loss to Alexa Culp.

Outside of the indefinite suspension, Mir, who lost via standing TKO to Pulev at 1:59 into Round 1, was handed a 30-day sanction.

Scroll below to see the full list of medical suspensions handed out to the fighters who competed at Triller Triad Combat.

Twitter reacts to Frank Mir’s TKO loss, Mike Perry’s win at Triller Triad Combat

Check out the top Twitter reactions to Frank Mir’s TKO loss and Mike Perry’s decision win at Triller Triad Combat.

The inaugural Triller Triad Combat event went down Saturday in Arlington, Texas, and the night produced mixed results for the UFC veterans involved.

Among the most notable, Former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] suffered a first-round TKO loss to Kubrat Pulev in the headliner, while polarizing fan-favorite [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] scored a split decision win over Michael Seals in the co-main event.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Triller Triad Combat’s notable results.

Mike Perry wins

Triller Triad Combat results: Kubrat Pulev badly wobbles Frank Mir in the first, records standing TKO

The main event of the first Triller Triad Combat didn’t last long, as boxing’s Kubrat Pulev ran through MMA’s Frank Mir.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – Triller returned to the combat sports space on Saturday for Triad Combat, a special rules event pitting boxers and MMA fighters against each other.

Former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Frank Mir [/autotag]stepped inside the triangle-shaped ring to face the hard-hitting world boxing challenger [autotag]Kubrat Pulev[/autotag], in what promised to be a fight between two big sluggers who would not need the judges to determine the outcome.

The event took place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and aired on Fite TV.

After Michael Buffer performed his trademark introduction, the fight began. Pulev pawed out a left jab to get things started, but Mir was quick to initiate a clinch. After separating, Pulev went to work throwing quick combinations, prompting Mir to clinch again.

Mixing in shots to the body and the head, Pulev picked Mir apart. With a few seconds remaining in the round, Pulev landed a clean combination that put Mir out on his feet. As the referee stared on, Mir wobbled in place, clearly out of sorts. Pulev did not offer any follow-up punches and the fight was finally stopped after a bizarre moment as the first round came to a close.

After the fight, Pulev was awarded a title belt, and offered praise for his opponent and propped up the future of Triad Combat.

The event had a team element in which the teams of boxers and MMA fighters tallied points throughout the evening. Even though the MMA side lost the main event, they won the evening as a whole, recording more victories than the boxers.

The full results of Triller Triad Combat include:

  • Kubrat Pulev def. Frank Mir via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:59
  • Alexander Flores def. Matt Mitrione via unanimous decision (68-64, 67-65, 68-64)
  • Mike Perry def. Michael Seals via split decision (65-67, 67-65, 67-65)
  • Derek Campos def. Brian Vera via majority decision (65-65, 67-63, 66-64)
  • Albert Tumenov def. Scott Sigmon via unanimous decision (70-63, 70-63, 70-63)
  • Alexa Culp def. Angelina Hoffschneider via TKO – Round 1, 0:46
  • Harry Gigliotti def. Jacob Thrall via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)

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Triad Combat: Live blog, results for Triller event

Follow along with results and live updates from Texas, where Triller is hosting its inaugural Triad Combat show that features MMA notables.

ARLINGTON, Texas – MMA Junkie is on the scene and reporting live from tonight’s Triller Triad Combat event.

Triad Combat is a new style of fighting that takes place in a triangular ring, incorporating boxing and MMA rules. The idea is to set professional boxers against professional MMA fighters in an environment that “levels the playing field.” Tonight’s card features MMA notables in former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag], former UFC and Bellator heavyweight [autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag], former UFC welterweight [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag], and former Bellator featherweight [autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag].

Keep it locked here for fight results as they happen, as well as live behind-the-scenes updates from Globe Life Field, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

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Video: Mike Perry grabs opponent, Derek Campos takes a swing at Triller Triad Combat faceoffs

The final faceoffs for Saturday’s Triller Triad Combat event produced some eventful moments.

The final faceoffs for Saturday’s Triller Triad Combat event produced some eventful moments.

The card, which takes place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and streams via online pay-per-view with Fite.tv, will mark the debut of a new ruleset in combat sports, and it features a number of MMA veterans on the line.

Fighters will compete in a triangular ring and under two-minute rounds. The idea is to set professional boxers against professional MMA fighters in an environment that’s “leveling the playing field.”

Like in boxing, only punches will be allowed. No kicks or elbows are permitted in Triad Combat. What does differs from boxing, is that this new fighting style will allow clinching and striking from the clinch.

[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] is already putting that to the test in the faceoff, as after making weight at 174.4 pounds, he grabbed opponent Sakio Bika by the arm in a potential preview of what we could see on fight night. The pair were separated and ultimately went their own ways.

There was also some faceoff intensity between headliners. Former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag], who meets boxing standout Kubrat Pulev in the main event, got up close and personal with each other by going forehead-to-forehead during the faceoff.

Check out the highlights of the faceoffs in the video above, including the likes of [autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag] and [autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag].