Often imitated, never replicated – these four words should sum up the success that the UFC has had under Dana White. Anyone who remotely knows MMA is aware of who White is— that is how famous and influential the UFC CEO has become. He has made UFC into a $12.3 billion business from scratch, and within 30 years, UFC became a global phenomenon. His vision and business acumen have made UFC a multibillion-dollar business, and now he has expanded his expertise into Power Slap and Boxing. From buying just the name of UFC for $2 million to making it a global sensation, Dana White and the Fertitta brothers built it all from scratch. But what if someone else, maybe someone like Darren Owen, tried to do the same thing?

Well, he would be pretty brave attempting the feat since he is coming into a world where top dogs are sitting at the table with immense money and success for several years. Would they take a rookie CEO who wants to open a new promotion named Global Fight League? In ex-UFC star Chael Sonnen’s words, the table is inhabited by a “clear group of sc-bags,” so they might not give Owen a seat beside them.

Sonnen spoke about GFL’s recent failure to launch their debut event on May 24th and 25th and how fighters like former BKFC heavyweight champion Alan Belcher are calling the promotion a ‘scam.’ ‘The American Gangster’ gave his blunt perspective on the MMA industry. He said, “Now the sport of MMA, while not wholeheartedly different than other industries, is a very clear group of scu-bags. You are welcome to play in MMA as long as you have money. And it doesn’t matter if you have to refinance your house or sell your car, you have to hock your watch. None of that matters as long as you have the money, you will have a seat at the table in MMA. You will have people pretending to be your friend.”

He further added that anyone from the MMA head honchos would join you from  if you had money and they would make time for you, “as long as they believe you’re picking up the tab.” Sonnen explained the mentality of MMA’s closed group and said, “The moment any of that ceases to be true, you will then be called a scam. And that might be one of the nicer ones.” Sadly for Darren Owen, the MMA bosses might not want to ‘join’ him anymore after the GFL fiasco.

Belcher was slated to debut as a part of GFL against Stuart Austin. However, as per Owen’s account to Ariel Helwani, the “primary investor didn’t fulfill his April obligation,” and the fight event fell through. Belcher was furious after getting to know the news with the rest of the world and posted a video on Instagram expressing his anger. “The GFL is f–king canceled, guys. It seems like it’s all just a big, lack of a better word, scam. I don’t know. That’s just what it looks like. There wasn’t any proof of the money that was supposed to be paid to the fighters. We all got scr–ed on this one.”

Despite this, Darren Owen remained optimistic that the organization could host its debut on June 15 and 16, as per his account to Ariel Helwani via text. Owen had tried to reach out to Chael Sonnen, who is subtly supporting GFL right now. However, Sonnen addressed the issue in January and said that the promotion did reach out to him, but he denied the offer. The GFL has signed several UFC veterans, such as Chris Weidman, Urijah Faber, and Chad Mendes, luring them out of retirement. But Sonnen declined their offer as per MMA Junkie. And what about Dana White? What did the king of the MMA world have to say about all of this?

Dana White’s response to GFL failure

Dana White gave his take on GFL’s ongoing fiasco and talked about it during the UFC 314 post-fight presser. The MMA world has been abuzz about the GFL, particularly after major names like Tony Ferguson came on board, but with the scheduled events cancelled as of now, everyone is questioning the promotion’s future and credibility.

The UFC CEO was asked about GFL’s dire state, and White did not mince words when replying. “Yeah, I don’t know enough about the GFL to speak on it,” he said. The head honcho sharply added, “But this is… yeah, it’s a lot harder than it looks.” Since he is experienced in this domain and has made UFC into a billion-dollar business from scratch, he knows a thing or two about the struggles of managing and operating a successful fight promotion.

The UFC head honcho was disinterested, and it was evident from his answers about GFL. When a reporter asked his thoughts on the new promotion that promised to transform MMA, he said, “None. That’s why I don’t know about it. Literally none.”

What do you think will happen to GFL? Will Owen be able to redeem his name and give the fighters what they want? Share your thoughts in the comments below.