Tyron Woodley is the top overall draft pick of the inaugural GFL draft. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Global Fight League (GFL) began its build toward a big MMA debut on Friday night.
The new GFL promotion is expected to launch in April with a team format similar to the old IFL days. But before teams collide and fights are made, rosters have to be set. That’s where the GFL draft came into play on Jan. 24.
The three-hour draft was loaded with appearances from MMA legends, among both fighters and coaches. Mike Goldberg, Brendan Schaub, Robin Black, and Caroline Pearce hosted the evening, with GFL founder Darren Owen announcing most of the picks before the draft format was abandoned following Round 4. Full team rosters were subsequently revealed. Unfortunately, the GFL draft process and how teams received their order was never explained.
The overall GFL draft pool consisted of more than 420 eligible fighters, with 120 ultimately selected for each of the six GFL teams worldwide. Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley was the first overall selection, picked by Team Dubai. Gegard Mousasi, Sage Northcutt, Junior dos Santos, Kevin Lee and Fabricio Werdum made up the rest of the Round 1 picks.
Ultimately, everything appears to be ready for the April launch. The six-team rosters are shown in their entirety below.
GFL teams drafting:
Dubai – Manager: Cain Velasquez, Coach: Javier Mendez
1. Tyron Woodley
2. Abubakar Nurmagomedov
3. Derek Brunson
4. Ali Isaev
Anastasia Nikolakakos
Alexa Connors
Adilet Nurmatov
Omari Akhmedov
Jessica Aguilar
Arlene Blencowe
Khumoyun Tukhtamuradov
Ronny Markes
Faine Mesquita
Farbod Iran Nezhad
Damir Ismagulov
Randi Field
Timur Valiev
Tofiq Musayev
Luke Rockhold
Todd Duffee
London – Manager: Luke Barnatt, Coach: Carl Prince
1. Gegard Mousasi
2. Alexander Gustafsson
3. Josefine Knutsson
4. Brett Johns
Chiara Penco
Julia Budd
Danny Roberts
Kelly Staddon
Pannie Kianzad
Mike Grundy
Norman Parke
Ilir Latifi
Cameron Else
Benson Henderson
Stuart Austin
Karolina Owczarz
Josh Hill
Tim Wilde
Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz
Tanner Boser
Los Angeles – Manager: Wanderlei Silva, Coach: Rafael Cordeiro
Sao Paulo – Manager: Lyoto Machida, Coach: Andre Pederneiras
1. Fabricio Werdum
2. Douglas Lima
3. Carlos Petruzella
4. Camila Reynoso
Joice Mara
Alejandra Lara
Julio Arce
Alex Oliveira
Antonio Carlos Junior
Pamelo Mara
Paula Bittencourt
Maike Linhares
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
Raphael Assuncao
Patricky Pitbull
Alan Patrick
Bruno Cappelozza
Viviane Pereira
Renan Barao
Lucas Martins
GFL draft live blog recap:
LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER36 updates
That officially concludes an interesting three hours of MMA drafting, folks.
Chris Weidman addressed his UFC retirement from this past weekend. He highlighted rematches with Luke Rockhold and Uriah Hall as reasons for wanting to continue fighting.
Team New York final members
Bi Nguyen
Lance Palmer
Neiman Gracie
Devin Clark
Marisa Messer-Belenchia
Liana Jojua
Kai Kamaka III
Dillon Danis
Ovince Saint Preux
Jimmie Rivera
Sidney Outlaw
Phillip Hawes
Alan Belcher
Miao Ding
Zviad Lazishvili
Aleksei Oley
Team Sao Paulo final members
Joice Mara
Alejandra Lara
Julio Arce
Alex Oliveira
Antonio Carlos Junior
Pamelo Mara
Paula Bittencourt
Maike Linhares
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
Raphael Assuncao
Patricky Pitbull
Alan Patrick
Bruno Cappelozza
Viviane Pereira
Renan Barao
Lucas Martins
Anthony Pettis says he’s most interested in a Tony Ferguson rematch.
Team Miami final team members
Kayla Hracho
Cat Zingano
Andre Harrison
Dilano Taylor
Philipe Lins
Mariya Agapova
Charles Rosa
Gleison Tibau
Thiago Santos
Hannah Goldy
Eric Shelton
Hector Lombard
Robelis Despaigne
Paige VanZant
Marlon Moraes
Jeremy Stephens
Team London final team members
Chiara Penco
Julia Budd
Danny Roberts
Kelly Staddon
Pannie Kianzad
Mike Grundy
Norman Parke
Ilir Latifi
Cameron Else
Benson Henderson
Stuart Austin
Karolina Owczarz
Josh Hill
Tim Wilde
Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz
Tanner Boser
Tony Ferguson says he’s also been offered a boxing match since parting ways with UFC.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey announced “Round 11” pick Grant Neal despite GFL announcing Team Los Angeles’ full team directly before.
Team Los Angeles final team members
Cory McKenna
Chad Mendes
Lorenz Larkin
Da Woon Jung
Jessica Penne
Leslie Smith
Tyler Diamond
Louis Glismnan
Rashad Evans
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane
Ray Borg
Grant Neal
Frank Mir
Cynthia Calvillo
Uriah Hall
Andrei Arlovski
Team Dubai final team members
Anastasia Nikolakakos
Alexa Connors
Adilet Nurmatov
Omari Akhmedov
Jessica Aguilar
Arlene Blencowe
Khumoyun Tukhtamuradov
Tyron Woodley
Ronny Markes
Faine Mesquita
Farbod Iran Nezhad
Damir Ismagulov
Randi Field
Timur Valiev
Tofiq Musayev
Luke Rockhold
Todd Duffee
Former WSOF bantamweight champion and former UFC contender Marlon Moraes is getting a quick interview. He has yet to be drafted.
Round 4, Pick 4, 5 and 6
Team London takes bantamweight and featherweight veteran Brett Johns.
Team Los Angeles takes former WEC featherweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber.
Team Dubai takes undefeated heavyweight prospect Ali Isaev.
I’m not sure how long this will go on, considering each team is supposed to have 20 fighters.
Round 4, Pick 1, 2 and 3
Team New York takes strawweight prospect Melissa Amaya.
Team Sao Paulo takes flyweight prospect Camila Reynoso.
Team Miami takes strawweight prospect Natasha Kuziuitina.
This has only gotten wilder. UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones sent in a video for the Yoel Romero pick.
Round 3, Pick 4, 5 and 6
Team Sao Paulo takes welterweight prospect Carlos Petruzella.
Team New York takes former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm.
Team Miami takes former two-time UFC middleweight title challenger Yoel Romero.
Round 3, Pick 1, 2 and 3
Team Dubai takes former UFC middleweight contender Derek Brunson.
Team Los Angeles takes one-time UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson.
Team London takes strawweight prospect Josefine Knutsson.
Round 2, Pick 6
Team Dubai takes UFC and PFL veteran Abubakar Nurmagomedov.
Round 2, Pick 5
Team Los Angeles takes UFC and PFL veteran Aspen Ladd.
