Dana White has made it clear that he does not see the Global Fight League (GFL) as a serious competitor to the UFC empire he has built over the past 24 years.
Since its launch, GFL has signed several former UFC fighters, including Chris Weidman, Luke Rockhold, Tyron Woodley, Alexander Gustafsson and Urijah Faber. The promotion is structured as a team-based league, set to begin in April, featuring a regular season, semifinals, and finals. GFL held its draft last Friday.
Following a recent Power Slap event, White was asked for his thoughts on the GFL.
The promotion has touted a 50-50 revenue split with fighters, along with retirement and insurance funds aimed at enhancing financial security and professional well-being. GFL claims to offer unprecedented profit-sharing opportunities to support both male and female athletes throughout their careers.
“I don’t think it’s blowing smoke — I think these guys are blowing real cash,” White said. “These guys are throwing a lot of money around, and I love it. Good for the fighters—it’s good for them. I don’t know anything about their business plan or what the deal is, but no, I don’t consider any combat sports my competition. My competition is the NFL, college football, soccer, big movies that come out on Saturday. I don’t look at other combat sports as competitors.”
