GFL Draft Grades: Which teams are set up for success in 2025?

On Friday night time, World Battle League held its inaugural draft with its six groups choosing 20 fighters throughout 10 weight lessons. Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley had the honour of being chosen because the No. 1 total draft choose for Crew Dubai, and when it was all mentioned and completed, 12 former UFC champions have been drafted together with a slew of different high names in MMA. So, now that we all know the groups, let’s evaluate the draft and take a guess at which groups are greatest arrange for achievement in when the promotion kicks off in April.

Crew Dubai

Dubai had the primary total draft choose which they used to pick Tyron Woodley, following that up with Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Derek Brunson. I’ll be sincere, none of these folks have been excessive on my draft board. In any case, Woodley is 42, hasn’t fought in 4 years, and is on a six-fight dropping streak throughout all fight sports activities. That doesn’t precisely scream “First total draft choose to me.”

Luckily, they weren’t actually punished for it as the opposite groups handed on a number of the greatest fighters obtainable to be drafted. Tofiq Musayev and Damir Ismagulov have been arguably the perfect choices at any weight class and Crew Dubai bought them each. That’s the light-weight division locked up, and Ali Isaev was in all probability the perfect heavyweight obtainable as properly. Omari Akhmedov, Timur Valiev, and each featherweight choices are additionally high-quality fighters, which suggests Dubai may must win one in all their remaining 5 weight lessons to assert a crew victory.

Crew Dubai has some clear weaknesses (Arlene Blencowe is the one confirmed girl on the squad who isn’t utterly washed), however its strengths are the strongest of any of the six groups.

Grade: A-

Crew Los Angeles

Oof.

Like many Los Angeles sports activities groups all through historical past, Crew L.A. seems to have made the basic blunder of selecting sizzle over steak. L.A.’s first 4 picks have been Sage Northcutt, Aspen Ladd, Tony Ferguson, and Urijah Faber. When drafting Aspen Ladd is the perfect factor you do, one thing has gone horribly awry.

Urijah Faber is 45 and hasn’t competed in nearly six years. God is aware of I really like him however Andrei Arlovski hasn’t appeared good in over a decade! Sage Northcutt was by no means good to start with! And don’t even get me began on Tony Ferguson.

Lorenz Larkin, Tyler Diamond, and possibly Ladd are the one fighters I’ve any confidence will have the ability to choose up wins for the L.A. Codgers. Add in the truth that Rashad Evans is outwardly not even truly on the crew and I’m assured predicting that is going to go poorly.

Grade: F

Crew London

Hmmm. I’m beginning to sense a sample right here. Virtually all of Crew London’s fighters are European, similar to most of Crew Dubai’s fighters had some connection to the U.A.E. I’m beginning to assume this wasn’t an precise draft… No, certainly not. Most likely a complete coincidence.

Anywho, I like quite a lot of what Crew London has happening right here. London went Gegard Mousasi, into Alexander Gustafsson, into Josefine Knutsson, into Brett Johns to start out the draft, and whereas these undoubtedly weren’t the perfect picks, they stuffed out the remainder of their roster properly.

The inspiration of Crew London is its girls’s divisions because the Euros can anticipate to be extremely aggressive in all three of these weight lessons and as followers discovered within the 2022 MMA World Cup, a robust feminine corps can carry a crew a great distance. On high of that, the remainder of The King’s Crew might lack for flash and pleasure, however they don’t have too many complete duds, which means they need to be a troublesome out in any weight class.

Contemplating the Brits don’t have drafts of their sports activities, they did a good job right here.

Grade: B

Crew Miami

Crew Miami is an actual blended bag.

The Miami Speedboats (not one of the groups have names, so I’m declaring this one, get on board) took Junior dos Santos within the first spherical, Anthony Pettis within the second, Yoel Romero within the third, after which Natasha Kuziutina within the fourth. Kuziutina is definitely the perfect choose of the bunch as she’s legitimately good and must be the highest atomweight competing. Romero was additionally a good choice given the deplorable state of the opposite middleweights, and whereas Pettis is certainly washed, he’s in all probability much less so than many different draftees.

The remainder of Crew Miami is as suspect as a sq. grouper. Philipe Lins is definitely a terrific choose however Marlon Moraes, JDS, Hector Lombard, Gleison Tibau, and Thiago Santos are all numerous ranges of “I’m uncomfortable watching you struggle nonetheless” whereas the others have some abilities however have been by no means elite opponents. The dearth of an creating expertise might show to be an enormous flaw for Crew Miami however they’ve bought sufficient items to compete.

Grade: C+

Crew Sao Paulo

Now it is a crew!

Sao Paulo got here out of the gate and drafted Fabricio Werdum, Douglas Lima, Carlos Petruzzella, and Camila Reynoso with its first 4 picks. Whereas the opening two are horrible, Petruzella and Reynoso are nice. They’re each younger, undefeated prospects who’re in all probability about to spend the remainder of the yr placing previous canine out to pasture for his or her crew.

On high of these two weight lessons being in good palms, Crew Sao Paulo additionally has above common expertise at featherweight, gentle heavyweight, and heavyweight, plus moderately succesful fighters in each different weight class. Positive, there are a number of fighters right here who’re previous their sell-by dates, however setting these apart, Crew Brazil is surprisingly well-rounded. They might lack the highs of Crew Dubai, however Sao Paulo has extra depth. They’re a front-runner to win this factor.

Grade: A

Crew New York

Properly, I do know who I’m choosing to complete final.

Genuinely, who’re you speculated to be enthusiastic about in case you’re a New York fan? Chris Weidman retired per week in the past and may’ve retired a lifetime in the past. Kevin Lee is Kevin Lee. Lance Palmer was first rate as soon as upon a time however now? I gained’t even deign to present Dillon Danis an actual point out. Bi Nguyen is 6-9! What are we doing right here?!?!

Alan Belcher may be the standard-bearer for this crew which ought to display simply how dire issues are for Crew Longo and firm. In case you stay in New York, it’s higher to be a Jets or Giants fan than watch this squad.

Grade: F