Alexander Gustafsson is set to leave the UFC after his manager, Majdi Shammas, confirmed that the promotion agreed to…
Alexander Gustafsson is set to leave the UFC after his manager, Majdi Shammas, confirmed that the promotion agreed to release him from his contract. Gustafsson has signed with the Global Fighting League (GFL) on an appealing deal, which provides flexibility for the Swedish fighter to take on other bouts outside of the organization.
Alexander Gustafsson with the GFL
“We asked the UFC to release Alex from his contract. They agreed, and we’re grateful for that,” Shammas told Maximum Sports. The manager added that Gustafsson’s new contract with GFL is an exciting opportunity, with potential for future matches and non-exclusive opportunities. “It’s a very attractive contract, and Alex is free to pick and choose from other bouts as well, which is great for us,” Shammas said.
Shammas also spoke highly of the GFL, calling it an organization with an ambitious team ready to launch in 2025. He described the setup as a hybrid between past leagues like the IFL and today’s PFL tournaments, offering better conditions for athletes.
Alexander Gustafsson with BKFC
As for Gustafsson’s next steps, Shammas confirmed that the fighter has received an enticing offer from BKFC. While a deal has not yet been signed, it’s likely that Gustafsson will join BKFC and face a UFC or Bellator veteran in the near future.
“Alex is in very good shape. He has looked good in training and has gotten his fire back. He is excited and eager for what is to come,” Shammas added.
“The Mauler” Gustafsson is a renowned UFC Light Heavyweight fighter with an 18-8 record, including 11 knockouts. Despite never winning a UFC title, he has earned respect for his performances, including memorable battles against Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.
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We got some interesting details about Alexander Gustafsson leaving the UFC from his manager Majdi Shammas, including a @bareknucklefc contract
"We asked the UFC to release Alex from his contract. They agreed, and we’re grateful for that" Shammas told Maximum Sports pic.twitter.com/rBXufAaW18
The newly created Global Fight League (GFL) has announced a lengthy list of signings ahead of its launch in 2025, including multiple former champions from the UFC and other organizations. After years of preparation, the GFL is set to stage events for the first time next April, as the promotion looks to succeed in the […]
The newly created Global Fight League (GFL) has announced a lengthy list of signings ahead of its launch in 2025, including multiple former champions from the UFC and other organizations.
After years of preparation, the GFL is set to stage events for the first time next April, as the promotion looks to succeed in the fight game with a team-based format and season structure.
15 cards are planned up until August, after which two playoff events and one final will take place before the year’s end. GFL founder Darren Owen outlined that and more during an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned.
Perhaps most notably, he revealed some of the major names who have put pen to paper on deals with the GFL and will be in the mix for the inaugural draft on Jan. 24, when six city teams will select 20 fighters (two in each of the 10 divisions) from a pool of 300 athletes.
Among them are former UFC champions Luke Rockhold, Tyron Woodley, Fabrício Werdum, Benson Henderson, Anthony Pettis, Frank Mir, Junior dos Santos, Andrei Arlovski, and Renan Barão, in addition to high-profile veterans like Alexander Gustafsson, Gegard Mousasi, Aleksei Oleinik, Kevin Lee, Thiago Santos, Jeremy Stephens, Hector Lombard and Jimmie Rivera.
Elsewhere, a number of other comebacks have raised skeptical eyebrows, including the latest return from retirement for ex-WSOF champ Marlon Moraes, who most recently hung up the gloves after a brief stint in the PFL extended his losing skid to seven straight fights.
For the full list of names confirmed by Owen and those on the GFL website, see below:
Heavyweight (265lbs)
Alan Belcher (18-8)
Aleksandr Maslov (11-1)
Aleksei Oleinik (61-18-1)
Andrei Arlovski (34-24)
Fabrício Werdum (24-9)
Frank Mir (16-11)
Greg Hardy (7-5)
Guto Inocente (11-6)*
Junior dos Santos (21-10)
Oli Thompson (18-9)
Philipe Lins (18-5)
Robelis Despaigne (5-2)
Roggers Souza (15-8)
Stuart Austin (18-9)
Tanner Boser (21-10)
Image: UFC.com
Light Heavyweight (225lbs)
Alexander Gustafsson (18-8)
Cleiton Silva (16-4)
Emiliano Sordi (23-10)
Ilir Latifi (16-9, 1 NC)*
Rafael Carvalho (17-8)
Thiago Santos (22-13, 1 NC)*
Image: UFC.com
Middleweight (200lbs)
Gegard Mousasi (49-9)
Chauncey Foxworth (19-10)
Glaico Franca (23-8)
Hector Lombard (34-10)
Jozef Wittner (16-4)
Kyle Daukaus (15-4)
Luke Rockhold (16-6)
Markus Perez (14-6)
Phil Hawes (15-4)
Wanderlei Silva (35-14)
Image: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
Welterweight (180lbs)
Abubakar Nurmagomedov (17-4)
Austin Tweedy (11-4)
Benson Henderson (30-12)
Dominick Meriweather (8-1)
Francisco Trinaldo (32-14)
Jordan Mein (31-14)
Julio Spadaccini (8-3)
Michael Irizarry (14-5)
Rousimar Palhares (19-11-1)
Ruan Machado (7-2)
Tyron Woodley (19-7)
Image: UFC/YouTube
Lightweight (165lbs)
Amirkhon Alikhuzhaev (11-4)
Anthony Pettis (25-14)
Ayinda Octave (5-0)
Ayton De Paepe (12-4)
Charles Rosa (14-8)
Feruz Usmonov (4-1)
Gabriel Souza Galindo (9-1)*
Jefferson Pontes (6-1)
Jeremy Stephens (29-21)
John Makdessi (18-9)
Kevin Lee (20-8)
Killys motta (15-4)
Lucas Martins (22-7)
Mohamed Tarek Mohey (9-4)
Oscar Ownsworth (8-3)
Raimundo Batista (18-3)
Sidney Outlaw (19-6)
Stephen Beaumont (11-3)
Will Brooks (26-5)
William Lima (6-3)
Yan Cabral (15-3)
Image: PFL MMA
Featherweight (155lbs)
Alexsandro Cangaty (10-4)
Andre Harrison (22-3-1)
Claudeci Brito (11-4)
Deberson Batista (12-4)
Lance Palmer (22-5)
Lucas Martins (22-7)*
Marcel Adur (16-5)
Marcelo Dias (14-6)
Marlon Moraes (23-13)
Patrizio de Souza (18-6)
Renan Oliveira (11-2)
Image: PFL MMA
Bantamweight (145lbs)
Andre Soukhamthath (14-10)*
Andre Harrison (22-3-1)*
Bubba Jenkins (21-9)*
Cameron Else (11-6)*
Denis Palancica (10-1)
Diego Teixeira (7-4)
Jimmie Rivera (23-5)
Marciano Ferreira (13-3)
Omar Arteaga (11-1)
Pedro Carvalho (13-10)*
Renan Barão (34-0)
Image: UFC.com
Women’s Bantamweight (140lbs)
Alexa Conners (8-5)
Kalindra Faria (19-10-1)
Pannie Kianzad (16-9)
Tonya Evinger (19-8-1)
Women’s Flyweight (130lbs)
Chiara Penco (9-5)
Karolina Owczarz (5-3)*
Miao Ding (18-8)
Women’s Strawweight (120lbs)
Bi Nguyen (6-9)
Silvania Monteiro (11-4)
Image: UFC.com
*Fighter’s weight class for the 2025 draft not yet disclosed on the GFL website
While the chances of a team-based format succeeding in MMA have been doubted by plenty of analysts in the media space, Owen explained to Helwani why he’s confident of it working.
“We’re able to create unique storylines that have never existed in the sport,” Owen said. “That’s one thing we keep hearing. Everyone loves the sport of MMA but the storylines are often not there. What this brings is the talking points, the, ‘OK, are these two fighters going to be teammates or are they going to be potentially fighting?’ And different strategies that come in, different betting elements that come in.
“The No. 1 driver in sports fandom proven is cheering for your favorite team. Favorite teams have never really existed in the sport of MMA. So we’re just creating what already exists and you see it across all the major professional leagues in the world, and this is just the implementation of that team-based league model for the third most popular sport in the world.”
Fighter contracts with the GFL will be exclusive and include a rare 50/50 revenue split. The promotion is also promising to contribute eight percent of each athlete’s purse into a retirement fund and two toward insurance.
“Whatever revenue we receive, whether it’s media rights deals, sponsorships, ticket sales, all of that, 50% goes into the fighter revenue pool from that specific event and then those fighters that are on that event are the ones who share in that revenue percentage.
“Athletes get paid either or — whatever is greater — their guaranteed amount or their revenue share percentage. So someone might have a $50,000 guaranteed purse and they earn 1% revenue share, but if there’s $10 million in that revenue pool for that event, then they’re going to receive $100,000 instead of what they were thinking was $50,000.”
A lot seemingly still needs to come together before the GFL’s launch in 2025, including a broadcast deal before events are staged in April.
Owen confirmed talks are set to take place regarding that in January, and if no agreement is made with an outside entity, he told Helwani the organization is prepared to create its own platform to stream on.
Former three-time light heavyweight title challenger, Alexander Gustafsson has remained coy on a potential return to mixed martial arts…
Former three-time light heavyweight title challenger, Alexander Gustafsson has remained coy on a potential return to mixed martial arts competition as he returns to training following his stunning opening round KO loss to Nikita Krylov back in July 2022, however, has failed to slam the door on a UFC comeback.
Gustafsson, a former perennial contender at the light heavyweight limit, challenged for 205 pound gold on three separate occasions during his tenure with the promotion, failing to strike title spols on any of those occasions.
Sidelined since July 2022, the Swede most recently dropped a first round knockout loss to Ukraine contender, Krylov, which followed consecutive losses to both former champion, Fabricio Werdum, and Anthony Smith.
Challenging for gold against current heavyweight champion, Jon Jones back in 2013 in the annum’s consensus Fight of the Year, Gustafsson pushed the pound-for-pound ace the distance in a decision loss.
Then dropping a 2015 title fight charge against former two-weight champion, Daniel Cormier in a split decision loss, Gustafsson was finished with severe ground strikes against Jones in a vacant title rematch at UFC 232.
“I’m going to be here much more now and focus a little bit on myself and my own training and mainly get back in shape,” Alexander Gustafsson told FrontKick Online. “I don’t think about the competing part so much. If it comes, it comes, so time will tell.”
“If a fight is on the table, let’s talk about that and see how it feels and take it from there,” Alexander Gustafsson continued. “I have the contract with the UFC. I have been with the UFC since 2009, so it’s been a while. I’m still in the business. I’m still under contract. If I fight, it would be in the UFC.”
Without a victory since 2017, Gustaffson’s most recent win came in the form of a brutal uppercut KO win over former champion, Glover Teixeira on home soil in a UFC Fight Night Stockholm main event.
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