Urijah Faber was one of many well-known fighters caught within the fallout of the International Battle League, and he recollects why it appeared like a good suggestion on the time.
In 2024, entrepreneur Darren Owen introduced the launch of a brand new MMA promotion, the GFL, which promised a roster of names acquainted to any combat fan in addition to main compensation for its athletes. Alongside the likes of Tyron Woodley, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Fabricio Werdum, Chris Weidman, Holly Holm, and quite a few different veterans, Faber signed on to compete within the team-based league, which was to carry its first occasions in Might in Los Angeles.
Nevertheless, in April, the occasions had been formally cancelled, with no phrase as to when or if the league would try and relaunch. The one updates have come from the GFL’s Instagram account, which posted a cryptic message in October with no substantial particulars offered.
On the premiere episode of Dominick Cruz’s Love & Battle podcast, Faber spoke about his transient time as a member of the GFL roster.
“With out placing private enterprise on the market an excessive amount of, they had been providing a ton of cash and I truly had the primary man and a man I knew that used to run West Coast Combating Championship come to my home and type of clarify it,” Faber stated. “I used to be simply pondering, first off, this doesn’t make a lot sense. Elements of it made sense, however what he was providing and every part else didn’t make sense. The man had an earnest thought, a bit delusional … some items that weren’t making sense. I felt like this man was a bit gullible, a bit delusional, which is OK, after which my supervisor had seen [Owen’s] checking account with $30 million in it, so I that was the one purpose I agreed to it. I used to be like, ‘OK, this man’s actual and he can write these large checks.’
“I additionally talked to Anthony Pettis and, I believe, Paige VanZant, and so they had been getting checks from him prior on pre-checks. Pettis was the one which’s like, ‘Bro, I’m going to let you know this GFL factor,’ and I checked out it and so actually for me I wouldn’t have achieved it with out the blessing of the UFC.”
Faber proceeded with warning, even going so far as to achieve out to UFC CEO Dana White to ask him if it was OK for him to signal with GFL for a rematch with one-time opponent Renan Barao. Although Faber believes he was contractually away from any obligations to the promotion he competed for from 2011-2019, he nonetheless felt it was a good suggestion to maintain White within the loop.
It turned out to be a clever choice for Faber to not totally decide to GFL, and he later came upon that the supposed funds that had been allotted to the fighters weren’t all they had been chalked as much as be.
“The chinks within the armor began displaying up,” Faber stated. “It turned out the cash within the financial institution was only a snapshot of cash he had briefly after which needed to give it again and all this type of stuff. That they had requested me to do some issues forward of time, get my medicals and stuff, and I had already noticed the writing on the wall.
“I informed my administration, ‘Don’t get the medicals. This factor goes to crumble.’ It did crumble, sadly.”
Considered one of Owen’s ambitions was to supply a real different to the UFC, which has solely furthered its dominance over the MMA trade lately. Owen hoped the mixture of confirmed veterans and selling franchises like a conventional team-based sports activities league would seize the creativeness of followers – and traders.
Whereas Faber admires what Owen was going for, he had little interest in taking sides, particularly since he doubts anybody can win a enterprise battle with the UFC.
“On the purpose of the GFL saying, ‘Properly, that is what’s mistaken with the UFC and every part else,’ I’m like, every part’s separate for me,” Faber stated. “They run the best way they’re going do it and have their success and I really feel just like the proprietor of the GFL was type of to that be aware, however for me, I’ve loads of gratitude and I really feel like this sport is rising and we’re positioned the best way we’re due to black belts in enterprise having the cash. That was it.”
