MMA

Dana White reacts to GFL signing numerous ex-UFC champions, retired fighters to build new promotion 

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Dana White has taken on a combative stance with numerous MMA organizations in the past whenever somebody decides to go to war with the UFC but that doesn’t seem to be the case with the GFL.

The Global Fight League, a new team-based promotion that has signed dozens of notable fighters including several ex-UFC champions and even a few athletes coming out of retirement to compete there, is preparing to launch in April with ambitious plans for the future. While GFL hasn’t inked any kind of broadcast deal yet, the organization has been signing fighters with most applauding the generous paydays being offered to them.

As much as White has no problem firing back at promoters taking aim at the UFC, he doesn’t see a need to do that for the GFL and he’s actually hoping this all works out for the fighters involved.

“No, I don’t think [GFL is] blowing smoke,” White said during the Power Slap post-match press conference. “I think these guys are blowing real cash. These guys are throwing a lot of money around. I love it.

“Good for the fighters. It’s good for them. I don’t know anything about his business plan or what the deal is, but no, I don’t consider any combat sports my competition.”

GFL founder Darren Owen has promised to promote a different kind of show with his team-based format, which features fighters drafted to various cities across the globe.

It’s also highly unlikely GFL attempts to go head-to-head with the UFC after Owen revealed plans to attempt to fill the void vacated by the NFL with the majority of the promotion’s shows happening on Sundays or Mondays.

While GFL is employing plenty of notable names who made their bones in the UFC, White isn’t losing sleep about anybody cutting into his business.

If anything, White knows that the UFC has separate itself in such a remarkable way that there isn’t a combat sports promotion on Earth that can touch them so why should he be concerned?

“My competition is the NFL, college football, soccer, big movies that come out on Saturday,” White said. “I don’t look at other combat sports and look at them as competitors.”

 

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