The founder of GFL reacts to the flight of the results of the flight, the situation of Rashad Evans; Loves Tony Ferguson’s idea against Dillon Danis

For better or for worse, the Global Fight League is already making a lot of noise.

The brand new MMA promotion hopes to break into a team format with six world GFL teams made up of 120 fighters in total. To organize the groups, GFL held its very first “draft” last Friday. Unfortunately, the operation did not go as well as planned – an accident in production revealed that the entire board of directors of teams and their fighters a few minutes before the launch of the Livestream of the GFL.

Although this is not the plan, the founder of GFL, Darren Owen better for the hearing.

“It is difficult to know exactly what happened and why, and what it was,” said Owen. “Obviously, we had a lot just before we were about to go online. So I guess that one of the flows was put online early, about five minutes earlier than they should have, And they were still some different things.

“I do not know finally if it was a bad thing, because on the basis of this, we had trendy on X, subject 1 in the United States that evening. We tend to google during the weekend- end.

The most revealing thing of the unintentional leak of the board of directors was that the project was not at all a project. The teams were already established, and it was only the way of promoting to share them.

This was also highlighted when the choice announcements were abandoned after the fourth round while the current approached its three -hour brand.

“Absolutely, that was the case,” said Owen when asked if the project was predetermined. “There are many things that have entered this production. So the reality is that I have consulted the coaches, the managers, that they wanted in their team, what we are logical on the basis – we empty The game. This is the reality of this thing.

“So, one of the fighters who are thwarted by” Oh, why didn’t you choose me, coach or manager “planned for the live choices of one to 120, (but) the duration that would have taken was clearly Longer than I think that anyone who wanted to connect, so we have somehow accelerated right fighters on the right teams to also create logical matches.

At a glance, the list appears perfectly personalized to better adapt to the combatants of the regions where specific teams are based. For example, the Dubai team, led by Javier Mendez and Cain Velasquez d’Aka, consists of several fighters from Dagestan, nearby countries or AKA gymnasium itself. Likewise, Owen said that the best fighters of the American team in Florida had sought to be part of the Miami team and that the Brazilians had pushed for the Sao Paulo team.

During its public unveiling in December, GFL immediately stood out, promising a list that presented several notable veterans from the UFC and former champions. The Friday flow project has proven that several of these names are indeed involved, but certain question points still follow others.

The former light heavyweight champion of the UFC Rashad Evans was one in particular who spoke after the projectAffirming that he is not part of GFL and plans to bring Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in boxing.

Despite the confusion, Owen thinks that Evans could still enter the GFL when it was launched in April.

“We will see,” said Owen. “(The manager of Evans) Ali (Abdelaziz) was like – literally the day before the project, I said to myself:” Ali, we are ready to put it? “It is like:” Yes, brother; we put it so, and Rashad was obviously released after and said: “Hey, I have not signed.” But I think that if you look at the story of the drafts , one of these athletes is signed before being written in the team.

“There are a lot of examples of things that happen after the cog, and this is just a format similar to that.”

After setting up its six team lists, broadcasting transactions seem to be the next GFL company. Owen is convinced that an agreement will be pinned before April. Owen’s approach is to “fill the void of the NFL”, he said, and he expects GFL to offer a combination of events on the à la carte and with free views, potentially even Organizing three events in two days for a weekend.

“Obviously, these athletes that we have are proven à la carte prints and have a giant fans base,” said Owen. “I will say this, if someone really comes to the table with a matter that is logical that we do not need to make the payment in sight, so we will not make payment. They also like the Idea of ​​the à la carte card based on metrics, the volume of talents we have, their follow -up involved.

“We do not get as much perspective,” hey, we do not like the à la carte payment model. “They are like:” Hey, we love this model a little, put it behind a payment wall.

“It will probably be a bit of a hybrid according to the place where we are going and who with and who has what rights and what territory,” he concluded.

The age of GFL’s alignment is a blatant concern, with an average age of 36 years. However, Owen insists that most MMA legends will fight against other legends or veterans, while prospects will largely fight to maintain a good balance.

More specifically in light divisions or Welter weights, Owen already has matches. The unexpected arrival of the UFC UFC acting champion Tony Ferguson put a matchmaking challenge after the eight consecutive defeats from Ferguson at the UFC. The online provocative Dillon Danis was launched as an option for Ferguson during the GFL draft, and Owen is a fan of the pairing.

“What is good is that they cannot refuse,” said Owen. “We can make the fights that people want to see, and we listen to everyone, right?” Like Tony Ferguson, Dillon Danis – It can be something that will materialize. So we are fighting. I am. “My fan of the mame of ills, I love sport more than anything. , is fought the real fights that people want.

“(Danis) was one of the most difficult to overcome the finish line. There were a few (fighters) who took a little more effort. It was not as if he was asking for something Weird or wild or something like that – overall, it’s good to manage. So we had to remove a language which allowed him to be what he is.

“We want Dillon to be Dillon and do his thing and work with him and provide him with the support he needs to explode,” said Owen. “So yes, everyone was quite phenomenal, guy – behind the scenes, the atmosphere, the sensation, the energy of managers and fighters and their coaches and everything. It was a very inspiring period to see everyone Gather and have the same state of mind, the same attitude and meet on the same wavelength. “