Tag: Jeremy Stephens

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: BKFC KnuckleMania 5 press conference live stream

The introductory BKFC KnuckleMania 5 press conference with Eddie Alvarez and Jeremy Stephens takes place Tuesday. Watch the live stream here.

The introductory BKFC KnuckleMania 5 press conference takes place Tuesday, and you can watch a live stream of the festivities at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT) right here on MMA Junkie.

The press conference takes place in Philadelphia, which will also host BKFC KnuckleMania 5, and features Philly’s own [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag], who will clash Jan. 25 at Wells Fargo Center. But before that happens, the former UFC stars will come face to face at the press conference.

You can watch the full BKFC KnuckleMania 5 press conference in the video above.

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Eddie Alvarez books hometown BKFC KnuckleMania 5 fight vs. Jeremy Stephens

Eddie Alvarez returning to the BKFC ring against fellow UFC veteran Jeremy Stephens in Philadelphia this winter.

[autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] is returning to fight in front of his hometown crowd.

The former UFC and Bellator champion has booked his return to the ring to take on fellow veteran [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] at BKFC KnuckleMania 5 on Jan. 25 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The news was announced by the promotion Tuesday.

Alvarez was last seen in action in December 2023 when he lost to Mike Perry by second-round TKO in the main event of BKFC 56. It was his second bareknuckle boxing match. Alvarez had fought and defeated Chad Mendes in April earlier that year.

Stephens recently competed in the BKFC ring. He defeated Bobby Taylor by unanimous decision at BKFC 65 in September. Prior to that, Stephens had stopped former UFC contender Jimmie Rivera in December 2023, a result that marked Stephens’ bareknuckle boxing debut.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCj4H5dRLh0/

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Unfortunate circumstances: 15 unforeseen injuries that ended UFC main events

Injuries are part of the game in MMA, but there’s nothing worse than one ends a marquee UFC fight.

While the term “freak injury” might not be appropriate to use when discussing a sport that is inherently dangerous, 14 UFC main events have ended in unforeseen injuries – broken legs, separated shoulders, eye pokes, etc. – that don’t typically come in the sequence of MMA combat.

Scroll below to see a chronology of UFC main events that ended in that nature.

Note: Injuries sustained on a TKO due to strikes or tapout due to a submission are not included, nor are retirements on the stool due to extended fight damage or exhaustion. Laceration-based stoppages also are not included since they come as an intentional result of the opposition’s attack.

BKFC 56 results: Jeremy Stephens cuts Jimmie Rivera with one punch, wins by doctor’s stoppage TKO

Things weren’t exactly going Jeremy Stephens’ way against Jimmie Rivera – until he changed that with one punch at BKFC 56.

Things weren’t exactly going [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag]’ way against [autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag] – until he changed that with one punch.

Making his bareknuckle boxing debut, Stephens earned a doctor’s stoppage TKO over fellow former UFC standout Rivera on Saturday night at BKFC 56 in Salt Lake City. The fight was called after the third round when Rivera suffered a nasty laceration over his left eye thanks to a Stephens uppercut.

It was a disappointing end for Rivera, who was effective through two rounds as he attacked both the head and body and appeared to be the quicker fighter. But Rivera couldn’t land a power punch that could phase Stephens.

In Round 3, Stephens turned the tide once he scored a knockdown as the clinched with Rivera once he closed distance. That one shot not only dropped Rivera but cut him open.

Once the doctor got a closer look, Rivera was deemed unfit to continue with the cut.

With the loss, Rivera is now 0-1-1 in BKFC. He drew with Howard Davis in his debut last year.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for BKFC 56.

Video: Watch BKFC 56 ceremonial faceoffs featuring Mike Perry vs. Eddie Alvarez, more

Check out the BKFC 56 ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs featuring Mike Perry vs. Eddie Alvarez, Jeremy Stephens vs. Jimmie Rivera, and more.

The world’s biggest bareknuckle boxing promotion is back with one of its most high-profile events to date.

BKFC 56 takes place Saturday at Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah as two pairs of former UFC contenders collide and three title fights take place. Friday, all of the fighters from Saturday’s card will come face-to-face one final time ahead of their bouts.

In the main event, [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] and [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] chuck knuckles to determine the “King of Violence.” Also on the card, [autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag] battles [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] in a matchup between two former UFC staples.

Three title fights are on tap, too: [autotag]Bec Rawlings[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Christine Ferea[/autotag], [autotag]Kai Stewart[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Howard Davis[/autotag], and [autotag]Arnold Adams[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mick Terrill[/autotag].

The full BKFC 56 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Mike Perry vs. Eddie Alvarez – for “King of Violence” title
  • Champion Bec Rawlings vs. Christine Ferea – for women’s flyweight title
  • Champion Kai Stewart vs. Howard Davis – for featherweight title
  • Arnold Adams vs. Mick Terrill – for vacant heavyweight title
  • Jimmie Rivera vs. Jeremy Stephens
  • Bridger Bercier vs. Ben Moa
  • Mike Jones vs. Erick Lozano

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Ernesto Rodriguez vs. Keegan Vandermeer
  • Trevor Bradshaw vs. Troy Dennison
  • Danny Hilton vs. LJ Schulz

Video: BKFC 56 fight-week press conference faceoff highlights, with Christine Ferea and Bec Rawlings locked in

Christine Ferea and Bec Rawlings couldn’t take their eyes off each other before their rematch at BKFC 56.

The BKFC 56 fight-week news conference took place Thursday in American Fork, Utah and afterward, 12 fighters from six main-card bouts came face to face.

In the main event, former UFC standouts [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] and [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] meet in a middleweight bout for the “King of Violence” title. And in the co-main event, champ [autotag]Christine Ferea[/autotag] defends her women’s flyweight title in a rematch with [autotag]Bec Rawlings[/autotag].

Two other title fights are on the main card: featherweight champ [autotag]Kai Stewart[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Howard Davis[/autotag]; and [autotag]Arnold Adams[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mick Terrill[/autotag] for the vacant heavyweight title. Another all-UFC bout takes place, as well, between [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] and [autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag].

Check out the video above to see those 10 combatants face off ahead of their bouts.

BKFC 56, one of the promotion’s biggest cards of the year, takes place Saturday at Maverik Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on FITE and the BKFC App.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for BKFC 56.

Video: BKFC 56 fight-week press conference live stream

Watch the final news conference ahead of BKFC 56, which features 12 fighters, including headliners Mike Perry and Eddie Alvarez.

The BKFC 56 fight-week news conference takes place Thursday, and you can watch a live stream of the festivities right here on MMA Junkie beginning at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT).

The news conference is set to go down at Bucked Up National Headquarters in American Fork, Utah with 12 fighters and BKFC president David Feldman expected to be in attendance. Former UFC champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] and former UFC standout [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag], who headline the event, will be there, as well as co-headliners [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] and [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag], both former UFC heavyweights. The event also features three championship bouts and another pair of former UFC standouts throwing down, [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag].

BKFC 56, one of the promotion’s biggest cards of the year, takes place Saturday at Maverik Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on FITE and the BKFC App.

You can watch the fight-week news conference in the video above.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for BKFC 56.

UFC veterans in MMA and bareknuckle boxing action Nov. 30-Dec. 2

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

This week, the UFC returns to The Lone Star State’s capitol.

UFC on ESPN 52 takes place at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas is headlined by a lightweight bout between [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] and [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag].

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 Nov. 30-Dec. 2.

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.

Video: BKFC 56 pre-fight press conference live stream

Watch the BKFC 56 pre-fight press conference live, featuring Eddie Alvarez, Mike Perry and many others.

The BKFC 56 pre-fight press conference takes place Thursday, and you can watch a live stream of the event right here on MMA Junkie beginning at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT).

The event features seven UFC veterans on the main card and three title fights. Expected to participate in the press conference are main eventers, former UFC champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]. Also, at the press conference will be co-main heavyweights [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] and [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag], along with BKFC president David Feldman.

BKFC 56 takes place Saturday, Dec. 2 at Maverik Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on FITE and the BKFC App.

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