The Global Fight League (GFL), a newly formed, team-based MMA promotion, has announced a pair of inaugural events in May.
Per ESPN, GFL will hold its first two events on back-to-back nights starting May 24 in Los Angeles. Fighters from all six of the new MMA promotion’s franchises will compete across 10 weight classes over the two-night schedule.
The main event of GFL 1 will feature former WEC champion Urijah Faber facing ex-UFC champion Renan Barao. It’ll be the third bout between the two, as they also fought in the UFC in 2012 and ’14 with Barao winning both meetings.
The GFL 1 co-main event will also include former UFC champions, as Anthony Pettis will face Benson Henderson. Pettis previously defeated Henderson in a WEC meeting in 2010 and in a UFC bout in ’13.
Former UFC interim champion Tony Ferguson – another one of the promotion’s most notable fighters – will make his GFL debut May 25 against Dillon Danis in the main event of GFL 2.
GFL, originally announced as the World Fight League (WFL), is founded by Darren Owen and Arun Parimi. The league held its inaugural draft on January 24, where fighters were allocated to six city-based global franchises – Dubai, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Sao Paulo. Each team made 20 selections to form a 120-fighter roster.
