Alan Belcher has joined the growing number of fighters who are upset with the Global Fight League (GFL) for cancelling its initial events. Many are questioning if the promotion will ever actually launch.
Belcher, a former BKFC heavyweight champion, had signed with GFL and was scheduled to appear at their debut shows in Los Angeles on May 24th and 25th. His opponent was set to be Stuart Austin. However, like everyone else, Belcher learned that GFL had cancelled these events. Founder Darren Owen stated that the cancellation was due to the organization`s main investor being unable to provide the committed funds.
In the same announcement, Owen mentioned his continued plans to launch GFL at a later time, but also offered fighters the option to request an immediate release from their contracts. While Belcher didn`t explicitly say he requested a release, his comments indicated strong dissatisfaction with how things unfolded.
“GFL is cancelled,” Belcher stated on Instagram. He expressed sympathy for fans who had booked flights to Los Angeles to support him, even though tickets hadn`t officially gone on sale. He described the situation as appearing to be a “scam,” citing the lack of proof of funds to pay the fighters, and concluded that everyone involved had been negatively impacted.
Despite the widespread doubts about GFL`s future, reports suggest Owen is trying to move forward. Belcher revealed that he was asked to remain on the fight card, but without a guaranteed payment.
Belcher mentioned that Owen had offered him a revenue share arrangement instead of a guaranteed purse to stay on the card.
In his social media post, Belcher tagged several promoters, including Mams Taylor of Misfits Boxing and David Feldman, the founder and president of BKFC, hinting at a potential upcoming fight announcement.
Belcher was among several experienced fighters who signed with GFL when it was announced in 2024. However, concerns about the promotion`s stability arose as the debut show faced repeated delays.
Ultimately, GFL`s first two events were announced and then cancelled within a short period, leaving the actual launch of the organization in serious doubt.
