We are just a couple of weeks removed from the first GFL draft and today we learned of the first official matchup that’s been booked by the promotion. It’s a rematch of former world champions as Luke Rockhold (16-6) and Chris Weidman (16-8) will fight for a second time.
Our first confirmed matchup:
— Global Fight League (@mmagfl) February 13, 2025
The All-American @chrisweidman takes on @LukeRockhold in a highly anticipated rematch between 2 former champions! pic.twitter.com/pZeOfTWJHx
Their first fight took place all the way back in 2015 so their rematch will be a full decade after their first fight. When they fought for the first time, Weidman was the undefeated UFC middleweight champion. After both men had early success, it was Rockhold who was able to score a fourth round TKO to become the middleweight champion.
Since then, both men have expressed interest in running the fight back. In fact, the UFC had booked the two to fight in an immediate rematch but Weidman had to pull out of the fight. Rockhold went on to lose the title to Michael Bisping and the rematch never came together until now. The GFL is making this fight happen.
Chris Weidman announced that he was walking away from the UFC a week prior to the GFL draft. Many considered this to be a retirement from Weidman, however, “The All American” had other plans. Weidman is a member of Team New York and he will be getting back in the cage. Weidman won a technical decision over Bruno Silva in March 2024 which was his first win since 2020 before he broke his leg. He lost to Eryk Anders back in December by second round TKO.
While Luke Rockhold has been active in competing in other combat sports, we haven’t seen him in MMA since his loss to Paulo Costa back in 2022. He’s only fought in MMA once since 2019 but he’s making his MMA return with the GFL and he’ll be looking to make it 2-0 against his longtime rival.
More must-reads:
The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should absolutely see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
The Las Vegas Raiders just stunned the league by releasing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins after only one year with the team. After signing a four-year, $110 million contract, he struggled with injuries in 2024. This was supposed to be a big bounce-back year for Wilkins, but after a dispute between the two sides in regard to how to handle his foot injury, the team decided it was best to part ways. Now, a premier interior disruptor is suddenly available. Assuming his medicals get checked out soon, there should be a lot of interest around the league. Where should he land? Dallas Cowboys Dallas has needed a dominant interior presence for quite some time. Osa Odighizuwa is an awesome threat, but he is only solid against the run. Alongside him, the team will be banking heavily on 2023 first-rounder Mazi Smith, who has been disappointing so far. With Dallas looking to return to the playoffs, adding a stud like Wilkins could give Dallas one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. San Francisco 49ers The 49ers added some young bodies in CJ West and Alfred Collins, yet neither offer a proven, all-around talent like Wilkins could if healthy. The 49ers defensive line was horrid outside of Nick Bosa in 2024, but by adding Wilkins, the team would now have a solid cast of starters with Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Wilkins and Kevin Givens/Jordan Elliott. Miami Dolphins A return to Miami makes a ton of sense for both sides. The Dolphins know exactly how to use Wilkins, he knows the building and players, and the transition would be very easy. Miami needs help in the interior defensive line; by plugging Wilkins back into his old role, he could offer the quickest path to high-level impact. Detroit Lions With Levi Onwuzurike out with injury and Detroit needing more juice on the defensive line, adding a proven disruptor like Wilkins could make some sense. He could provide more depth while he gets fully healthy, and he can join a legit Super Bowl contender. His energy and mentality could be a good fit for a Dan Campbell-led squad. Jacksonville Jaguars The Jaguars defense is average in the interior, but they have excellent edge-rushers who would benefit greatly from a strong disruptor up the middle. Wilkins could balance the front, help in the run defense and allow more one-on-ones for their premier edge-rushers. For a team that wants to return to the playoffs as soon as possible, adding a veteran like Wilkins could be a worthy bet to make.
Are NBA players underpaid? Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry argues yes. The greatest shooter in NBA history said Thursday on Complex’s “360 With Speedy” that because the league’s current CBA doesn’t allow for current players to invest in league and team equity, players are leaving money on the table. “I would say, yes, we are underpaid,” Curry admitted when asked, despite enormous salaries, if the players were getting short-changed, “because you wanna be able to participate in that rise [of equity].” “It’s a partnership with ownership, [and] it’s a partnership with the league,” the 37-year-old stressed, revealing that league salaries do not reflect players’ impact on team valuations. If anyone has the right to begrudge the current CBA on player participation in equity, it’s Curry. When drafted in 2009, the Warriors were worth $315 million. Current valuations in May of 2025 have the team at $9.4 billion, the most in the league. Curry’s been paid handsomely during his time in Golden State, and he doesn’t overlook it. “I know we’re blessed to be in a position where we’re playing basketball for a living, and these are the type of checks that people are earning,” he told Complex. However, when he signed his $62.6 million one-year extension in 2024 that would keep him in a Warriors’ jersey until 2027, many felt that no amount of money the franchise could offer him would represent his worth. Curry had an undeniable impact on the Warriors’ valuation increasing by nearly 3,000%. He’s benefited by being the most salaried player on the roster and plenty of endorsement deals. But is he getting his fair share? Something similar may happen with reigning NBA Finals MVP and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who just signed the richest contract in league history with an average annual value of $71.25 million. According to Forbes, the Thunder’s valuation increased 20% from 2023 to 2024 and will likely take another jump after this year’s championship. Curry concedes that player participation in equity isn’t a simple concept and not all markets are created equal: “You got competitive advantage considerations…and want every market to have a fair chance, like I get all that.” He believes, however, that finding a solution is a “mutually beneficial proposition” for players, teams and the league. Even the most expensive people in the world need to find other investors to make owning an NBA team possible. The best example of Curry’s point is the Boston Celtics sale in March. The most-championed franchise in league history was sold to Bill Chisholm for $6.1 billion, the largest ever sports franchise sale in North America at the time. Chisholm needed Rob Hale, Bruce Beal Jr., and private equity firm Sixth Street, to afford the purchase. Because team ownership is already a multi-investor operation, the league could potentially come to an agreement with the players by the next CBA negotiation at the end of the decade. If not, the league's best players will continue to simultaneously earn a ridiculous amount of money, and it will not be nearly enough.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the midst of an offseason of change, as Mitch Marner is out the door and on to the Vegas Golden Knights. That salary-cap flexibility has allowed the team to add players like Nicolas Roy (acquired for Marner in a sign-and-trade), Dakota Joshua and Matias Maccelli in depth roles for a team that badly needed to improve its bottom six. But where does that leave forward Nick Robertson? The 23-year-old tallied 15 goals in 69 games last year in a limited role, and as it stands right now, there’s not necessarily a clear fit for him among the team’s top 12 forwards. On Wednesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, host Tyler Yaremchuk and DFO Senior Writer Matt Larkin discussed the situation with Robertson, where he fits in in Toronto if he stays, and why the fit between player and team hasn’t worked out for the best in prior years. Tyler Yaremchuk: The other name I want to throw your way is Nick Robertson. His arbitration hearing is coming up. Who knows if they’ll find a deal; who knows if they’ll find a trade. What do you make of Nick Robertson and the Leafs, are we finally going to get a finale to this saga? Matt Larkin: The irony is this is the first summer where I think I’m not predicting a trade, and then of course a trade’s going to happen because of that. I do wonder if the Leafs actually need him right now because they are crunched against the cap. Right now, after losing Mitch Marner, you have to find depth scoring for cheap wherever you can get it, and he can give you 15 goals in the bottom six. That said, I know if you trade [Robertson] somewhere else, to a weaker team that can play him on the second line, he’s going to get 20-25 goals because he can shoot the puck. Just on a contending team, he doesn’t fit in a bottom six. He’s been miscast. You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode below…
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