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Global Fight League founder Darren Owen details Fall 2026 reboot after disastrous launch

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Global Fight League founder Darren Owen details Fall 2026 reboot after disastrous launch

Global Fight League founder Darren Owen is looking to make the most of a second chance to launch one of MMA's unique new promotions.

The Global Fight League was supposed to feature a slew of former UFC, Bellator, and PFL standouts in a two-night launch in April 2025. The GFL became the latest promotional addition to Mixed Martial Arts that planned to ‘fill the NFL void' last summer.

But just weeks before their scheduled debut events in California, the GFL cancelled their first slate of events, for what GFL founder Darren Owen revealed to be financial reasons. One of the GFL's main investors withdrew their funding for undisclosed reasons, which sent the new promotion into a tailspin before ever hosting an event.

Fast forward to Summer 2026, and Owen and the GFL are set for ‘Take 2' of their promotional launch later this year. As the GFL prepares to jump-start this Fall, Owen takes full responsibility for the GFL's disastrous start.

Darren Owen acknowledges ‘mistakes' made in Global Fight League's failed 2025 launch

In the latest episode of BetOnline‘s The Fight Guys podcast, Owen was pressed on what went wrong with the GFL's planned launch.

“It was literally just one investor. We had a commitment to a significant amount of money, they funded their initial amount, and I'll take the blame for not having either the knowledge or the right people surrounding me at the time to make sure the funds were secure long-term,†Owen said.

“Since then, I've learned from my mistakes, surrounded myself with more business-savvy individuals and people who have experience running major leagues. Shifted to a publicly traded entity now, which is a big difference in how we're structured now…it's given us a lot of flexibility and opportunity.

Marlon Moraes, others set to unretire and fight in GFL

Owen went on to reveal that the promotion is set to hold its debut event on October 17th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Marlon Moraes will also come out of retirement to fight at an upcoming GFL event.

Owen went on to differentiate the GFL from the Professional Fighters League's previous season format.

“Independent team owners will own and operate their teams, compete in the regular season, playoffs, and then crown a seasonal champion,†Owen revealed.

“After that first event, we have an international event in Buenos Aires, Argentina in November, and that'll be part of our launch. It'll get the economics in place to move forward…people say the IFL tried this before and it didn't work. And that's true! We have insights into why it didn't work back then, and we're also unique in the fact that we have men and women on the same team.

“We want to create our own lane, not pick fights with other promotions,†Owen continued. “The way our events are going to be run, our content, it's all going to be different.â€

More info on the GFL's inaugural event, including fight matchups and signings, is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Follow BetOnline's The Fight Guys podcast here

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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MMA

Morning Report | Paddy Pimblett: Movsar Evloev ‘quit’ in loss to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333

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Morning Report | Paddy Pimblett: Movsar Evloev ‘quit’ in loss to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333

Movsar Evloev, 20-0 no longer. But apparently, his UFC 333 loss to Alexander Volkanovski is deeper than that.

The top featherweight contender updated his Instagram bio following his disappointing knockout defeat at the hands of Volkanovski, but not to 20-1.

Instead, Evloev is now “0-1,” signaling a new beginning, perhaps? At 32, Evloev is not a young man in the 145-pound division, but perhaps there’s still room for him to grow and even if he can’t beat Volkanovski, can he hang around long enough for Volkanovski to exit and then step into his place as a future champion?

What do you all think of Evloev’s profile tweak?

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MMA

Aaron Pico admits he was fighting too out of control before UFC 333

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Aaron Pico admits he was fighting 'too out of control' before UFC 333
Aaron
Pico is learning to be more patient inside the Octagon.

Pico (14-5) is scheduled to face Losene
Keita (17-2) at
UFC 333 on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Ahead of the
matchup, the former Bellator
fighter said he wants to gain experience rather than rush to
finish.

Aaron Pico explains new fighting mentality ahead of Losene
Keita matchup at UFC 333

Pico was knocked out in his UFC debut last year before earning his
first promotional victory against Patricio
Freire. He said he has since adopted a “beginner
mentality.â€

Pico, who has finished 11 of his 14 professional victories, has
worked with coach Roberto Barreiro to develop a more measured
approach. Instead of trying to end fights as quickly as possible,
he now wants to settle into the action.

“When I say I needed to be humbled, it’s not in the fact that I
walked or carried myself… I needed to humble myself in the way that
I was fighting,†Pico said at the UFC 333 media day. “I was
fighting just too out of control. When I would go do a fight, the
mindset was to get this thing over. I just want to go in there, do
what I have to do, get the win and go home. I've really worked with
coach Roberto Barreiro a lot in Morocco to switch the mindset a
little bit. Now I want to enjoy and cook the fight.â€

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MMA

UFC fighter explains nose-picking moment before Dana White handshake

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UFC fighter explains nose-picking moment before Dana White handshake
Mandel
Nallo says his nose-picking gesture at the ceremonial weigh-ins
for the
Ultimate Fighting Championship's recent event in Edmonton,
Alberta, was a message to his children.

Nallo stopped Nate
Landwehr at
UFC Edmonton on Oct. 17. Before the bout, however, the Canadian
lightweight drew attention by conspicuously picking his nose
onstage. He has since explained the gesture.

Mandel Nallo says his sons inspired UFC Edmonton nose-picking
gesture before Dana White’s handshake offer

Nallo said his sons suggested the gesture as a way to acknowledge
them while they watched. That created an awkward moment when UFC
CEO Dana
White extended his hand before Nallo's faceoff with Landwehr.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Nallo explained that refusing the
handshake might have looked disrespectful.

“I have two boys; they’re 5 and 7… I wanted to notify them that I
knew they were watching,†Nallo said. “So I told them, ‘What’s
something I can do so that you guys can see that I know you’re
watching?' They told me, ‘Pick your nose.' I’m a committed nose
picker. I’m not gonna half-*ss it. I’m not gonna pretend. So, I
went up there and that was for them. I’m right-handed. I’m gonna go
up there with my right hand, and then [Dana White] extends his arm
out to you. You don’t have time to explain what just happened. So I
did a finger point so that there was no contact. There was no
disrespect. It was kind of like a ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm' moment. I
got this booger in my hand, but if I go, ‘I don’t want to shake
your hand,' then I look even worse. I just had to roll with
it.â€

Nallo also said his sons don't know what he does for a living.
Although they train jiu-jitsu, he said they are unaware of how
violent MMA can be.

Nallo (15-4, 1 NC) earned his UFC contract on
Dana White's Contender Series last year but lost his
promotional debut to Jai Herbert
by technical knockout earlier this year. The 37-year-old has never
had a professional fight decided by the judges.

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