UFC star Anthony Smith has doubts about the latest MMA promotion, Global Fight League (GFL).
GFL generated buzz among MMA fans after announcing its debut this year. The promotion unveiled a team-based format and revealed a roster featuring fighters such as Chris Weidman, Tony Ferguson, Luke Rockhold, and other former champions and legends. However, as of now, a date and time for the event have yet to be announced, leaving many uncertain about whether the promotion will start off on a strong note.
UFC fighter and analyst Anthony Smith remains skeptical about GFL’s viability and questions whether the promotion has what it takes to succeed.
“It’s weird,” Smith told MMA Fighting. “I’m not totally sold on it yet. They’ve yet to hold an event, and I don’t know anything about the promotion other than the fighters they have signed. From what I hear just through the fighter grapevine, they’re paying crazy money. So I don’t suspect it’s going to be around that long.
“That old model has been tried over and over again, and it doesn’t work. I don’t know what they would be doing differently from what everyone else has done, other than throwing big money at old, aging fighters.”
GFL has assembled a fight card filled with notable names and has even pulled several fighters out of retirement. Smith believes many are making a comeback simply to cash in on a lucrative paycheck. One of the biggest names to emerge when GFL launched was former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, who last competed in 2023.
“I get what the guys are doing. I would take big, old fat checks like that, too—especially if you’re just sitting around,” Smith said. “If you’re not doing anything and you’re just training—because most guys still continue to train, stay in the gym, and hang out with their teammates and partners—I suspect they’re all in decent shape.
“There are a few names, though, that I don’t like. Shogun being one of them.”
Tony Ferguson is another well-known fighter set to return, as he plans to face Dillon Danis after suffering a string of losses. However, Smith has a different perspective on Ferguson’s comeback, suggesting that it might be a much-needed opportunity for redemption.
“Actually, I don’t dislike the Tony one that much. If you look at the run Tony was on—even during his losing streak—it’s not like he was losing to a bunch of bums. He was fighting high-level competitors.
“But I think I like it more for Tony because I don’t know what he would do otherwise. What would Tony Ferguson do if you took this from him? I don’t know. I’d be afraid for Tony if he didn’t have this outlet.
“I love Tony Ferguson. If this is what he wants, he’s one of those guys you kind of just give him what he wants. But Shogun bothers me. That’s a lot of miles, a lot of wars, and he doesn’t always look like he wants to be there. There’s never a question about whether Tony Ferguson wants to fight, but in Shogun’s last few appearances, he didn’t look like he wanted to be there.”
As of now, no official fights have been announced, and all fighters remain on standby. Because of this, Smith is still on the fence about the promotion’s future until GFL actually puts on a show.
“I’m not convinced they’ll be around for long, so I don’t know how much it actually matters,” Smith said. “But there were some guys that popped up that really shocked me. Like, where did you guys get [Alexander] Gustafsson? How did you guys figure that out?
“I thought he was just hiding away in Stockholm, living his best life with his beautiful family and being the King of Sweden—but they dragged him out, too.
“They must be offering big checks. I hear they’re massive, but if you can drag guys like Alexander Gustafsson out, they’ve got to be swinging big hammers.”
