Image: GFL
Watch the GFL Draft Here
The Global Fight League (GFL) holds its first draft to assign all the fighters on their announced roster with the league, to one of the six global teams.
Team-based MMA is nothing new, but the GFL is looking to try it on a global scale. The draft will be broadcast live from Van Wagner Studios in Phoenix, Arizona. Founder and Commissioner Darren Owen will be in attendance to announce the selections for six inaugural teams—Dubai, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and São Paulo.
You can watch the live draft here:
The GFL said in a press release the selections included 420 athletes from 67 countries competing for 120 coveted roster spots.
Managers and coaches for teams are listed here:
Dubai: Manager Cain Velasquez with Coach Javier Mendez
London: Manager Luke Barnatt with Coach Carl Prince
Los Angeles: Manager Wanderlei Silva with Coach Rafael Cordeiro
Miami: Manager Thiago Alves with Coach Conan Silveira
New York: Coach Ray Longo; Manager TBD
São Paulo: Manager Lyoto Machida with Coach Andre Pederneiras
A lot of signees have been advertised since the GFL announced their entrance into the sport. Some have been refuted, while others have already made their announcements of signing with the league. The confirmed athletes in the most recent press release are; Tyron Woodley, Paige VanZant, Anthony Pettis, Yoel Romero, Mauricio Rua, Ilima-Lei MacFarlane, Junior Dos Santos, Aspen Ladd, and Marlon Moraes, who also serves as Head of the GFL Athlete Association.
The press release announcing the draft event also said that athletes not selected in the draft will remain eligible for GFL competition in 2025, but will not be exclusively bound to competing in the inaugural season.
