The UFC may dominate the Mixed Martial Arts industry, but fans are hoping that a new MMA promotion, Global Fight League, can bring a breath of fresh air to the combat sports scene.
With a vastly improved reward model and structure for fighters, there is real optimism that the GFL could set a new standard in revenue distribution for MMA athletes worldwide – but what happens if this new model fails, and fails spectacularly?
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Kevin Lee says GFL success/failure will determine whether MMA is 'really a sport'
The Global Fight League will hold its first event in April 2025, with the promotion reportedly offering fighters as much as 50% of revenue share – significantly more than the 18% of total revenue the UFC pays out to its athletes.
The GFL have also announced that a host of former UFC stars have already been named to their roster, including Junior Dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Luke Rockhold, Alexander Gustafsson, Tyron Woodley, Benson Henderson and Kevin Lee.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, former UFC title challenger Kevin 'Motown Phenom' Lee explained how this new promotion, if successful, could revolutionize the MMA scene… And how it could kill the 'sport' as a whole injure if it fails.
“If it works [then] f***** fantastic, but even if it doesn't work, and if a 50-50 split with the fighters and the promotion doesn't work and that's what we see here, then it will bring transparency to what this sport actually is – and whether it is a real sport.
“If you can only pay guys 18% of the back end and that's the only thing that works in this sport, then it's not really a sport; they're more like a bunch of poor guys fighting for the billionaire big change.”
Lee claimed that under the UFC model, the world's top athletes will simply compete for “tips,” since “18% is what you pay your waitress at Applebee's,” and that the GFL will be a testing ground to see if 50 %50 is even possible.
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“So I guess if that's it, then that's it. But I'm certainly willing to put my life, my reputation and my career on the line to actually see the sport grow and do a little bit better. ”
While the GFL's 50/50 revenue split has been widely praised by fans and fighters alike, there are concerns that some of the top-heavy contracts could ultimately sink the broader ship.
Just a few days ago, veteran MMA reporter Alex Behunin claimed that “someone on the GFL heavyweight roster had signed a $1.4 million contract,” adding that “this promotion has yet to see the light of day.”
Retired UFC fighter Matt “The Immortal” Brown recently acknowledged that the UFC didn't become the biggest sports promotion by being “fighter first” but by keeping fighters down – and even then almost went under.
“There has only been one truly successful fight promotion in history, the UFC… They didn't build it by helping fighters [and] I think they're all a little confused there.
“I say as a former fighter I want everyone to get paid and do well, but the UFC built their business on lowball fighters and still almost went bankrupt.
“I find it hard to believe that making a fighter based fighter promotion is really the way to build a promotion…I hate to say that because I love that they care about the fighters , I like the thought process behind it, but is that going to get you a promotion? I find it hard to believe.”
The first GFL show is reportedly scheduled for April 4, 2025. Will this new promotion sink or swim?
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