Alan Belcher calls out GFL as a ‘scam’ after debut cards cancelled: ‘We all got screwed on this one’
Count Alan Belcher among the growing list of fighters angry about the GFL cancelling its debut shows with no real indication about when or if the promotion is still going to launch.
The former BKFC heavyweight champion signed with GFL, and he was slated to make his debut as part of the originally scheduled events on May 24 and May 25 in Los Angeles with a fight booked against Stuart Austin. Instead, Belcher found out along with the rest of the world that the GFL pulled the plug on the shows with founder Darren Owen later claiming that the organization’s “primary investor was unable to meet their funding commitment.”
As part of the same statement, Owen said that while he still planned to launch the GFL at a later date, “any athlete may request an immediate release.” While he didn’t explicitly state that he asked for his release, Belcher sounded angry about how the whole ordeal played out.
“The GFL is f*cking cancelled, guys,” Belcher said on Instagram. “First off, I feel really bad for any of you guys that got flights. I had a lot of people that were supporting me that — I don’t think there was ever any tickets sold — but some people had already changed their plans and got flights to go out there to L.A. to watch me fight.
“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 screwed on this one.”
While there’s plenty of doubt about the future of the GFL, Owen is reportedly attempting to push forward, but Belcher revealed that he was asked to stay on the debut card without a guaranteed purse for his payment.
“He is still trying to make the fight happen,” Belcher said. “I talked to Darren the other day and he offered to give me some revenue share and stuff if I would fight for not a guaranteed purse.”
In the same post on social media, Belcher tagged several promoters including Mams Taylor, who runs Misfits Boxing, as well as BKFC founder and president David Feldman while adding “new fight announcement will come soon I’m sure.”
Belcher was one of numerous veteran fighters to sign with the GFL after the promotion was first announced in 2024. Unfortunately, doubts about the viability of the organization started swirling as delays in the debut show continued to mount.
Ultimately, the first two cards were announced and then cancelled within just a few weeks’ time, and it’s unclear if or when GFL might actually hold an event.