Former UFC Veteran Calls GFL a ‘Scam’ After Canceled Launch

The fight business has seen its share of stumbles, but few launches go off the rails quite like this. The Global Fight League (GFL), a promotion hoping to establish itself as a new player in the MMA space, has already landed in hot water. Scheduled to debut with back-to-back events on May 24 and 25, 2025, in Los Angeles, the entire rollout was abruptly shut down. While delays and reshuffles are common in combat sports, this wasn’t just a scheduling issue—it’s shaping up to be something much worse. A former UFC fighter recently spoke out, adding fuel to the fire and raising more concerns about the promotion’s future.

Former UFC middleweight Alan Belcher, who was booked to face Stuart Austin at GFL 2 on May 25, didn’t hold back. Taking to social media, Belcher said, ‘It seems like it’s all just a big, lack of a better word, scam. I don’t know. That’s just what it looks like. There wasn’t any proof of the money that was supposed to be paid to the fighters. We all got screwed on this one.’ His comments echo the sentiments of many who were set to compete. Fighters, fans, and officials are now questioning whether GFL can recover from this botched debut.