Tag: Gegard Mousasi

GFL draft results: Former UFC champions surprise with unexpected entries

Check out the GFL Draft results and see which of the hottest free agents and MMA legends were selected to compete in the inaugural year.

It’s not every day there’s an MMA draft, but Friday there was

The 2025 GFL Draft took place virtually with a live stream on MMA Junkie. Six teams, each representing a major city, drafted from a pool of approximately 500 fighters, including big-name free agents and rising prospects.

One-hundred-twenty athletes were be selected across 10 weight classes (heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight, women’s bantamweight, women’s strawweight, and women’s atomweight). However, the weight classes are divided slightly differently than the traditional weight classes. The promotion says it’s an effort to combat weight cutting.

Click here to see which fighters are eligible for the draft.

The six teams are managed and coached by MMA notables, as follows: Dubai (manager Cain Velasquez and coach Javier Mendez); London (manager Luke Barnatt and coach Carl Prince); Los Angeles (manager Wanderlei Silva and coach Rafael Cordeiro); Miami (manager Thiago Alves and coach Conan Silveira); New York (manager TBA and coach Ray Longo); and Sao Paulo (manager Lyoto Machida and coach Andre Pederneiras.

While a specific date has yet to be revealed, the promotion says it will launch in April with regular season, semi-finals, and finals events held throughout the year.

The 2025 GFL Draft results are as follows:

Round 1

  • Pick 1 (Team Dubai): Tyron Woodley
  • Pick 2 (Team Los Angeles): Sage Northcutt
  • Pick 3 (Team London): Gegard Mousasi
  • Pick 4 (Miami): Junior Dos Santos
  • Pick 5 (Sao Paulo): Fabricio Werdum
  • Pick 6 (New York): Kevin Lee

Round 2

  • Pick 7 (New York): Chris Weidman
  • Pick 8 (Sao Paulo): Douglas Lima
  • Pick 9 (Miami): Anthony Pettis
  • Pick 10 (London): Alexander Gustafsson
  • Pick 11 (Los Angeles): Aspen Ladd
  • Pick 12 (Dubai): Abubakar Nurmagomedov

Round 3

  • Pick 13 (Dubai): Derek Brunson
  • Pick 14 (Los Angeles): Tony Ferguson
  • Pick 15 (London): Josefine Knutsson
  • Pick 16 (Miami): Yoel Romero
  • Pick 17 (Sao Paulo): Carlos Petruzzella
  • Pick 18 (New York): Holly Holm

Round 4

  • Pick 19 (New York): Melissa Amay
  • Pick 20 (Sao Paulo): Camilia Reynoso
  • Pick 21 (Miami): Natasha Kuizutina
  • Pick 22 (London): Brett Johns
  • Pick 23 (Los Angeles): Urijah Faber
  • Pick 24 (Dubai): Ali Isaev

Full team reveal (following Round 5):

Team Dubai

  • [autotag]Anastasia Nikolakakos[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Jessica Aguilar[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Faine Mesquita[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Randi Field[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Alexa Conners[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Farbod Iran Nezhad[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Timur Valiev[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Adilet Nurmatov[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Khumoyun Tukhtamurodov[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Damir Ismagulov[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Tofiq Musayev[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Ali Isaev[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Los Angeles

  • [autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Leslie Smith[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Tyler Diamond[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Sage Northcutt[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Louis Glismann[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Grant Neal[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Da Woon Jung[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Rashad Evans[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team London

  • [autotag]Chiara Penco[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Kelly Staddon[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Josefine Knutsson[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Karolina Owczarz[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Cameron Else[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Josh Hill[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Mike Grundy[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Tim Wilde[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Norman Parke[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Stuart Austin[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Miami

  • [autotag]Kayla Hracho[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Natasha Kuziutina[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Hannah Goldy[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Mariya Agapova[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Eric Shelton[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Andre Harrison[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Dilano Taylor[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Sao Paulo

  • [autotag]Joice Mara[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Pamela Mara[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Camila Reynoso[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Paula Bittencourt[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Maike Linhares[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Lucas Martins[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Carlos Petruzzella[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Alan Patrick[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team New York

  • [autotag]Bi Nguyen[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Marisa Messer-Belenchia[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Melissa Amaya[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Miao Ding[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Liana Jojua[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Zviad Lazishvili[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Kai Kamaka III[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Phillip Hawes[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Video: Is MMA’s newest player, the Global Fight League, set to fail or succeed?

Global Fight League has announced its launch. Will it work in MMA? We discuss on the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique.”

There appears to be a new player in town.

That’s right, a new MMA promotion has emerged, and it’s looking to put on fights at the top level. Global Fight League announced its launch last week, revealing that it will begin operations in early 2025 and will feature numerous notable names in the sport.

GFL’s roster includes names such as: [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag], [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag], [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag], [autotag]Wanderlei Silva[/autotag], Frank Mir, [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag], [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag], and [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] and many others.

How strong is GFL’s roster? What names stand out? Could this promotion find success in a very difficult MMA industry?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and host “Gorgeous” George discuss the announcement of the GFL launch, along with its initial roster.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/QvKtS8RXBbs

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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 reaction: What does Gegard Mousasi’s Bellator release say about state of PFL merger?

Was PFL acting in bad faith leading up to its release of Gegard Mousasi? MMA Junkie reporters Mike Bohn and Nolan King react.

[autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag]’s saga with the PFL brass took a significant step Thursday when the company announced it has released the former champion from his Bellator contract.

Mousasi (49-9-2) first vocalized his frustrations with his situation more than a month ago when he told MMA Junkie his career wasn’t being handled in good faith, from potential matchup opportunities to properly honoring his contract and more.

He has become increasingly disgruntled since then, and Wednesday, Mousasi told “The MMA Hour” that legal action could be in play. Less than 24 hours later, the PFL posted a statement announcing his Bellator release.

What does this development tell us about the status of the PFL-Bellator merger? MMA Junkie reporters Mike Bohn and Nolan King discuss the latest at length in the video above.

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PFL announces Gegard Mousasi released from contract; manager responds

Gegard Mousasi has been released by the PFL one day after he threatened legal action against the promotion.

The PFL has announced the release of former Bellator middleweight champion [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] following a contractual dispute turned public.

One day after Mousasi (49-9-2) called the promotion “the worst organization” and threatened legal action in an interview with “The MMA Hour,” PFL Head of Fighter Operations Mike Kogan released a statement on social media announcing the roster move.

“Bellator has released Gegard Mousasi from his agreement,” Kogan wrote. “We wish him all the best fighting in his next chapter.”

While Mousasi has yet to comment publicly on the situation, his manager Nima Safapour, of Moments Management, referred to the release as “alleged” and disputed PFL’s “fighter first” mantra.

“We will not comment on the merits of the alleged release at this time for obvious reasons,” Safapour said in a written statement provided to MMA Junkie. “However, we believe there is a greater lesson here that our community should pay close attention to. For an organization that repeatedly claims to be ‘fighter first,’ we now truly see how PFL treats their fighters, especially their legends.”

Mousasi, 38, has not competed since May 2023, when he lost to Fabian Edwards. Following the PFL-Bellator merger in late 2023, Mousasi has aired growing frustration with the promotion.

In an April interview with MMA Junkie, Mousasi claimed PFL was not offering him fights and had asked him to take a pay cut, something former Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima also recently complained of publicly.

Both PFL president Ray Sefo and PFL co-owner Donn Davis disputed Mousasi’s claim. In April, Sefo told reporters, including MMA Junkie, the promotion offered Mousasi, through Safapour, a fight up a weight class at 205 pounds, but it was turned down.

Hours after Sefo spoke, Safapour told MMA Junkie the bout was a short notice offer and said a shift of weight class didn’t qualify it as “real offer.”

It’s unclear where Mousasi’s next stop is from here. He’s 40 years of age and on a two-fight skid. He fought in the UFC from April 2013 to April 2017 with a 9-3 record with the promotion before he joined Bellator as a free agent. Mousasi went 7-3 under the Bellator banner with two reigns as middleweight champion.

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Photos: Gegard Mousasi through the years

Check out these photos highlighting Gegard Mousasi’s career through the years.

Check out these photos highlighting [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag]’s career through the years.

Gegard Mousasi’s manager responds to PFL president Ray Sefo: ‘They’re not making a meaningful effort’

Gegard Mousasi and the PFL have not been on the same page since the promotion acquired Bellator.

[autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] and his team feel they are not a priority for the PFL.

Since the promotion acquired Bellator, the former champ Mousasi has not been booked for a fight. His last appearance was 11 months ago, which has caused frustration to build.

According to PFL president Ray Sefo, Mousasi has been offered at least one fight, and is unsure when communication broke down between both sides. However, Mousasi turned down the fight, because the fighter and his team did not consider it a “real offer” because it was at a higher weight class on six week’s notice.

Mousasi’s manager, Nima Safapour, told MMA Junkie they have been willing to work out terms for a return to action, but believe the promotion has put Mousasi on the backburner.

“Let me start off by saying I like Ray Sefo, and have always considered him a good friend. Sincerely,” Safapour told MMA Junkie. “With that being said, since when is offering fights outside a fighter’s weight category a real offer? Jon Jones spent one year bulking up to fight at HW. However, Gegard should assume that the only way he can get a fight is by going up a weight class on 6 weeks notice? A real offer is offering a fight to someone in their actual weight division.

“We asked for Ray Cooper and they told us he was not available. And then a few weeks later they booked Ray on the same event we asked to fight him on. So in reality, it feels that it’s not a priority and they’re not making a meaningful effort. And when fighters fall off of a card, the guys that we asked to fight (and were told were unavailable) get the call, but we don’t . And it’s not reasonable to marinate any fighter on the sidelines for a year and a half because they would not agree to an unfair weight handicap on short notice.”

Safapour continued:

“Ironically, Gegard is such a gangster that he told them that he would fight at 205 for the PFL season tournament if that would give us more options. At least that would give Gegard a few months to bulk up. Not ideal, but we are willing to do it to compromise and create opportunities for everyone . But we got no response from them.

“It’s very simple: At the beginning of the year, we asked to sit down and to map out how they are going to use Gegard in 2024. If it was a priority for them, they would have done it. When they wanted to schedule a short notice fight for Patricio ‘Pitbull,’ they did so. So it really comes down to if they want to do it or not. So, from an outsider looking in, it surely doesn’t feel like a priority for them at Gegard’s detriment.”

While the two sides have been going back-and-forth in the media, Safapour says it would make no difference if everything was kept behind closed doors, because the conversations about Mousasi, 38, have been the same.

“If they intend on using Gegard, then why don’t they ever say his name publicly especially when they’re promoting their upcoming events in Riyadh for their pay-per-view?” Safapour said. “I can only base my assumptions off of their actions. And at this point, unfortunately, their actions sound very different than what they’re saying to us behind closed doors and publicly.

“No one who understands the sport can deny that Gegard is one of the best middleweights of all time. He has earned his right to fight, and he has a binding contract with Bellator. I hope they can turn it around and behave reasonably and ethically because Gegard can make a fantastic contribution to the platform, which is all he’s ever wanted to do.”

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PFL president Ray Sefo addresses Gegard Mousasi’s frustration, unsure of communication breakdown

Gegard Mousasi has yet to compete since the PFL’s acquisition of Bellator, but PFL president Ray Sefo says he has been offered a fight.

CHICAGO – PFL president [autotag]Ray Sefo[/autotag] isn’t sure where the communication breakdown occurred with [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] but assures that the promotion wants to have him compete soon.

Mousasi (49-9-2), hasn’t competed since last May in a unanimous decision loss to Fabian Edwards at Bellator 296. The former Bellator and Strikeforce champion recently told MMA Junkie that he is frustrated with his current situation after PFL acquired Bellator, since he has yet to compete and does not have a fight scheduled.

“I’ve been training in and out a little bit because I don’t get any news from the PFL or Bellator – people think I’m retired, actually,” Mousasi told MMA Junkie. “I’m waiting for a fight. I have a contract with them but it feels like they don’t feel obligated to the contract.”

Following 2024 PFL 3, Sefo addressed Mousasi’s comments, stating that Mousasi has been offered at least one fight in the light heavyweight division.

“When I first talked to his manager about it, I had an offer for him to fight at 205, and he turned it down,” Sefo told reporters during a post-event news conference. “I don’t know where that miscommunication was, but they asked for certain people, and those people weren’t on the card, and then of course, as any card goes along, you match it today, and hope for the best that nobody gets injured.

“Throughout that champions vs. champions, I think we had like three or four guys fall out due to injuries and whatnot. Certain things had to happen, and we had to pull certain people in. But yeah, an offer was offered to his manager from me and they turned it down. He said, ‘No.'”

Mousasi, 38, also stated that PFL has not responded to his manager’s efforts to contact him about booking a fight, describing it as “radio silence.” He also felt that he has been pressured to “take a pay cut” in order to compete.

“The problem is my manager tried to contact them and they don’t even respond,” Mousasi said. “There’s no effort to promote or get me a fight. It’s radio silence with them. People think I’m retired. They’re trying to be No. 2 organization in the world, but I think at least what they can do is tell me what their plans are with me.”

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While Sefo did not address Mousasi’s comment about pay, he says the PFL intends to have Mousasi fight for the promotion this year. However, details need to be ironed out to create something that makes sense for all parties involved.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Sefo said when asked if the promotion wants Mousasi to compete. “It’s just we got to sit down and work out what makes sense and go from there.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2024, Week 3.

Gegard Mousasi frustrated by ‘radio silence’ from PFL, feeling pressured to ‘take a pay cut’

Gegard Mousasi says PFL thinks he’s “getting paid too much” and is trying to pressure him into taking less money by putting him on ice.

[autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] hasn’t competed in 11 months, and currently sees no end in sight to his inactivity under Bellator’s new management with PFL.

Mousasi (49-9-2), a former Bellator and Strikeforce champion, last stepped into the cage in May when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Fabian Edwards. He knew PFL’s acquisition was coming prior to it being made official, so he expected a transition period. However, it’s been a more challenging situation than he could have ever imagined.

Simply put, Mousasi has no idea the future of his fighting career. He said he currently has three fights remaining on the deal he signed with Bellator that was part of the PFL purchase, but feels like he’s been frozen out because ownership doesn’t want to make good on the terms of his contract.

“I’ve been training in and out a little bit because I don’t get any news from the PFL or Bellator – people think I’m retired actually,” Mousasi told MMA Junkie on Monday. “I’m waiting for a fight. I have a contract with them but it feels like they don’t feel obligated to the contract.

“I knew there would be the sale. After that, there was no communication. We tried to contact PFL to get more information about what’s going on, what they want to do next. But it feels like they’re ignoring us. I talked to Mike (Kogan). He went from Bellator to PFL. I told him, ‘Give me information what you want to do with me.’ They keep me on ice, let’s say. They feel like I’m getting paid too much. They don’t want to give me the fights. They owe me. But I know from other fighters that made the same, they fought already. There’s no effort from them.”

Mousasi said his management is activity trying to get answers from the PFL in the most professional way possible. Taking his gripes public is not his preferred method, but the 38-year-old, who would be ready to jump into a training camp immediately, thinks voicing his frustrations through the media is the only move left at this point.

“The problem is my manager tried to contact them and they don’t even respond,” Mousasi said. “There’s no effort to promote or get me a fight. It’s radio silence with them. People think I’m retired. They’re trying to be No. 2 organization in the world, but I think at least what they can do is tell me what their plans are with me.

“I know they owe me a fight. They have a contract with me. They want to maybe put pressure on me to take a pay cut. But why would I do that? I know they owe me fights. I know better, let’s say that.”

Mousasi made his MMA debut in April 2003. During his decorated run in the sport, he has fought everywhere from PRIDE to DREAM to Strikeforce to UFC. He said he’s very familiar with the “politics” of the sport, but has never dealt with such a frustrating situation before.

“I know my rights with what’s in the contract,” Mousasi said. “I’m waiting for them to respond and give me a fight. This is my way to send a message to them at least, because it’s difficult to get them on the phone. I have to go media. It’s like UFC cutting fighters and they find out online. I have to communicate through media with them. It’s crazy.

“Every promotion has its own thing. UFC would give me every three, four months a fight, but they wouldn’t pay me enough. Bellator, they paid me more, but I would fight a lot less. Now with PFL, they don’t even give me a fight. This is the worst, I think. They don’t even talk to you. It’s like an ex-girlfriend or something.”

Gegard Mousasi, Derek Brunson trade shots over potential PFL fight date: ‘No one is avoiding you’

It appears a PFL fight between Gegard Mousasi and Derek Brunson is in the works, but both fighters aren’t yet on the same page.

It appears a fight between former Bellator champion [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] and [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] is in the works, but both fighters aren’t yet on the same page.

Mousasi (49-9-2), who hasn’t competed since a unanimous decision loss to Fabian Edwards at Bellator 296 in May, recently took to social media and revealed a matchup Brunson (24-9), who is coming off a successful PFL debut win this month over Ray Cooper III, is being discussed.

According to Mousasi, Brunson turned down the fight on three occasions (via X):

Update: PFL wants to fight me very soon against @DerekBrunson. Derek refused to accept the fight again. He said he wanted nothing to do with it. 3x he has refused to fight me over the years.The fans lose. Let’s hope PFL can find me a MW. I am ready.

The accusation didn’t sit well with Brunson. The former longtime UFC middleweight contender told MMA Junkie after his PFL debut that he’s seeking notable fights, and with crossover possibilities available now that PFL and Bellator are under the same ownership, Mousasi would seemingly fit the bill.

Brunson said he’s in no way avoiding Mousasi, but the timeline he was presented doesn’t fit his current life plans (via X):

Stop the cap 🧢 @mousasi_mma. No one is avoiding you . I’m enjoying the holidays with my family and kids . I already missed thanksgiving. I won’t accept a fight that I can’t dedicate a camp to . Goofy a*** boy 😂😂😂

Mousasi responded with frustration to Brunson’s comments. He said the word from PFL brass has differed from what his potential opponent is claiming publicly, and Mousasi mocked Brunson while teasing the fight could still happen (via X):

Holidays? Very different than what PFL told us and you know even with Christmas you have plenty of time for a camp. The date was far out. Easy on the cheeseburgers and don’t lie, you are not a real LHW. See you soon.

If the bout between Mousasi, 38, and Brunson, 39, eventually materializes, it would be a long time coming. The veteran of the now-defunct Strikeforce organization were scheduled to meet at UFC 200 in July 2016, but Brunson was forced to withdraw due to vision issues.

Mousasi defeated replacement opponent Thiago Santos by first-round knockout on the UFC 200 card, and he hasn’t been linked to another fight with Brunson until now.

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