International Battle League broadcasts new team-based group, big record of signings together with 8 former UFC champions

There’s a brand new participant within the MMA house.

On Wednesday, Darren Owen introduced {that a} new, team-based MMA league, the International Battle League, will launch its first season beginning in April of 2025. The preliminary announcement, which comes nearly precisely three years after Owen revealed similar plans for a different team-based fight promotion, was made on Ariel Helwani’s show, adopted by a press launch giving extra specifics into the brand new promotion.

“Launching in 2025, the International Battle League seeks to redefine the enterprise mannequin and improve competitors in combined martial arts,” Owen stated. “Athletes and coaches might be a part of an incentive and income sharing plan primarily based on league success, whereas competing for glory and fascinating with followers in cities all over the world. The GFL will reimagine the enterprise of fight sports activities for the twenty first century.”

Although particulars are nonetheless sparse, GFL’s preliminary season will encompass six groups “primarily based in main world markets” comprised of 20 fighters, two representatives every throughout 10 weight lessons.

And the record of fighters already hooked up is strong. The GFL supplied a non-comprehensive record of fighters already underneath contract with the promotion, that includes quite a lot of massive names together with eight former UFC champions.

From this preliminary record, Tyron Woodley, Fabricio Werdum, Anthony Pettis, Junior dos Santos, Luke Rockhold, Frank Mir, Andrei Arlovski, and Benson Henderson, who all held titles within the UFC whereas Marlon Moraes, Wanderlei Silva, Gegard Mousasi, Rafael Carvalho, Lance Palmer, and Will Brooks had been champions in different main organizations comparable to Bellator and World Collection of Preventing.

On high of this, GFL additionally says it’s “dedicated to offering unparalleled monetary advantages whereas prioritizing fighter well being and security” and could have a 50/50 income share mannequin with the fighters, retirement incentives, and an athlete affiliation, which is headed up by former WSOF champion Marlon Moraes.

Owens instructed Helwani that he expects to satisfy with potential broadcast companions in January to safe a broadcast rights deal for the promotion’s inaugural season.