After falling flat on their face out of the gate last year, the GFL (Global Fight League) seemed to be done.
However, of late, there have been a few signs of life. Late last month, the promotion announced an Athlete Performance and Wellness Council featuring Tyron Woodley, Benson Henderson, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Burt Watson, and others.
And on Tuesday, the promotion introduced their next trick: revamping themselves as a publicly traded company in which fight fans could invest.
“As of today, GFL Sports & Entertainment, Inc. (OTC: $GFLE) is now publicly traded and has partnered with [Deal Maker Tech] to support our public capital raise. GFL continues to build towards our 2026 debut season,” a statement on the promotion’s official social media platforms read.
In an adjacent press release, league officials stated that “Through a collaboration with DealMaker, a registered broker-dealer and investor platform, GFL is opening a public equity raise of up to $5 million, creating a transparent structure designed to align athletes, fans, and partners through participation in the league’s long-term growth.”
Quoted in Tuesday’s press release, GFLE Executive Chairman Vince Hesser said, “The sports industry has evolved into one of the most valuable investment sectors in the world, yet public access to ownership has been limited. The Global Fight League is building a transparent structure that aligns performance, participation, and long-term value creation across athletes, fans, and investors.”
This all might be a hard sell for fans who followed along as the GFL, founded by Darren Owen (who once pitched a regional MMA promotion on investment series Dragon’s Den, Canada’s answer to Shark Tank), suffered several embarrassing setbacks. The league featured a botched “live” draft, and some big names from MMA’s past, including Shogun Rua, Urijah Faber, Benson Henderson (now making a comeback for the PFL), Fabricio Werdum, Frank Mir and others.
It failed to put on a single show, after reportedly losing its financial backing.
Jeffrey Pollack has joined the GFL as Senior Advisor; he’s formerly held positions with Professional Bull Riding, World Series of Poker, the NFL, NBA, and NASCAR.
“GFL is building toward a 2026 debut season, with additional details to be announced as the equity raise progresses over the next four to six months. The league plans to launch with four teams in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and London, featuring a unified team structure in which men and women compete side by side as part of the same organization,” Tuesday’s release reads.
Does that mean another draft?