Former BKFC champion Alan Belcher has joined the growing number of fighters who are upset about the Global Fighting League (GFL) cancelling its first shows. There`s no clear information on whether the promotion will still launch in the future.
Belcher, who signed with GFL, was scheduled to fight Stuart Austin at the debut events in Los Angeles on May 24 and 25. However, like everyone else, Belcher learned that GFL had cancelled the events. Founder Darren Owen stated that the cancellation was due to the organization`s main investor not providing the agreed funding.
In the same announcement, Owen mentioned that he still intends to launch GFL at a later time, but also allowed fighters to request their release immediately. While Belcher didn`t explicitly say he requested a release, he sounded very unhappy with the situation.
“GFL is cancelled,” Belcher announced on Instagram. “I feel sorry for those who booked flights. Although no tickets were sold, some supporters changed their plans and booked flights to Los Angeles to see my fight.”
“It seems like this whole thing is a scam. There was no proof of funds to pay the fighters. We all got cheated in this situation.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding GFL`s future, reports suggest Owen is trying to move forward. Belcher revealed that he was asked to participate in the debut event without a guaranteed payment.
“He is still trying to make the fight happen,” Belcher said. “I spoke with Darren recently, and he offered me a share of the revenue instead of a guaranteed fight purse.”
In his social media post, Belcher tagged promoters like Mams Taylor from Misfits Boxing and David Feldman, the founder of BKFC, hinting at future plans by adding, “new fight announcement will come soon I’m sure.”
Belcher was among many experienced fighters who signed with GFL after its announcement in 2024. However, concerns about the promotion`s stability grew as the debut show faced repeated delays.
Ultimately, the first two events were announced and then cancelled within weeks, leaving the actual launch of GFL in serious doubt.
