The GFL named eight Buenos Aires Gauchos fighters for its Dec. 18 debut against the Miami Monsters, while Marlon Moraes will reportedly not compete; the Monsters roster is still to come.
From 7 reports by 6 outletsLatest GFL names eight Gauchos; Moraes reportedly out of Dec. 18 2 updates 6 outlets
What we know
- The GFL's first event is set for Dec. 18 at Club Atletico Lanus in Buenos Aires: Buenos Aires Gauchos vs. Miami Monsters, with 20 fighters across the two teams.
- The Monsters roster and individual matchups have not been announced; the league has shared a scoring system for future events but the team format is not fully explained.
- The GFL's two events planned for May 24 and 25, 2025 were cancelled.
Reported, not confirmed
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Marlon Moraes, recently added to the Miami Monsters roster, will not compete on Dec. 18, according to MMA Fighting sources; the GFL has not commented.
MMA Fighting
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Nevada granted the GFL a one-event Las Vegas licence valid from 2027; larger events would need fresh approval and possibly further financial requirements.
Kimura
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A planned Oct. 17, 2026 GFL debut at Sam's Town Live in Las Vegas did not take place, and the announcement was removed from social media.
MMA Mania
The Global Fight League has spent two years promising a first event and has not delivered one. Its Dec. 18 debut at Club Atletico Lanus in Buenos Aires is now taking shape, with the first Buenos Aires Gauchos names out and the first notable casualty already reported.
The eight Gauchos span middleweight to flyweight. Dante Romero (9-8) is the middleweight and Matias Ponce (12-5, 1 NC) the welterweight. Franco Rios (4-0) and Thomas Juarez (6-2) cover lightweight, Lionel Abojer (12-4) and Eduardo Cajal (9-5) featherweight, Ryan Martinez (9-1) bantamweight and Nicolas Rodriguez (9-3) flyweight. The league has announced 20 fighters across the two teams, so more names are due, along with the full Miami roster.
The Moraes news is the bigger blow. The former UFC title contender was announced for the Monsters shortly before the roster reveal and was the most recognisable name attached to the show. He is 38 and had just ended a seven-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision over Maximiliano Perez in August. According to MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz, citing sources with knowledge of the event, he will not compete. The GFL has not commented.
The Gauchos list so far is notably short on the star names the league signed in 2025, such as Tyron Woodley, Chris Weidman, Luke Rockhold, Anthony Pettis and Holly Holm. The Argentina show is billed as a proof of concept, and how the team-versus-team format will work is still unclear, though the league has shared a scoring system for future events.
Credibility remains the issue. The two May 2025 shows were cancelled, and a planned Oct. 17 event in Las Vegas passed without a card. Days later, Nevada granted the league a one-event licence valid from 2027; larger events would need fresh approval.
Watch for the Monsters roster and the first individual matchups, which will show how many of the 20 fighters are real names and whether the Moraes absence is confirmed.
The eight Gauchos span middleweight to flyweight. Dante Romero (9-8) is the middleweight and Matias Ponce (12-5, 1 NC) the welterweight. Franco Rios (4-0) and Thomas Juarez (6-2) cover lightweight, Lionel Abojer (12-4) and Eduardo Cajal (9-5) featherweight, Ryan Martinez (9-1) bantamweight and Nicolas Rodriguez (9-3) flyweight. The league has announced 20 fighters across the two teams, so more names are due, along with the full Miami roster.
The Moraes news is the bigger blow. The former UFC title contender was announced for the Monsters shortly before the roster reveal and was the most recognisable name attached to the show. He is 38 and had just ended a seven-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision over Maximiliano Perez in August. According to MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz, citing sources with knowledge of the event, he will not compete. The GFL has not commented.
The Gauchos list so far is notably short on the star names the league signed in 2025, such as Tyron Woodley, Chris Weidman, Luke Rockhold, Anthony Pettis and Holly Holm. The Argentina show is billed as a proof of concept, and how the team-versus-team format will work is still unclear, though the league has shared a scoring system for future events.
Credibility remains the issue. The two May 2025 shows were cancelled, and a planned Oct. 17 event in Las Vegas passed without a card. Days later, Nevada granted the league a one-event licence valid from 2027; larger events would need fresh approval.
Watch for the Monsters roster and the first individual matchups, which will show how many of the 20 fighters are real names and whether the Moraes absence is confirmed.
- Summary
- The GFL named eight Buenos Aires Gauchos fighters for its Dec. 18 debut against the Miami Monsters, while Marlon Moraes will reportedly not compete; the Monsters roster is still to come.
- Key points (one per line)
- GFL named eight Gauchos fighters across five weight classes for its Dec. 18 debut in Buenos Aires.
MMA Fighting reports Marlon Moraes, recently added to the Miami Monsters, will not fight on Dec. 18.
The Miami Monsters roster and the individual matchups have not been announced.
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- MMA Fighting | https://www.mmafighting.com/gfl/517701/gfl-announces-announces-new-debut-date-following-2025-event-cancellations
Combat Sports UK | https://combatsportsuk.com/news/cd93019b-a832-4b04-96d3-cbf35b20dc42/darren-owens-gfl-sets-debut-at-club-atletico-lanus-for-18
MiddleEasy | https://middleeasy.com/mma-news/gfl-december-18-buenos-aires-gauchos-miami-monsters-debut/
InTheCage | https://inthecage.pl/global-fight-league-powraca-organizacja-oglosila-date-pierwszej-gali/
MMA Mania | https://www.mmamania.com/gfl-global-fight-league/482115/back-from-the-dead-gfl-announces-first-event-on-dec-18-in-argentina
Kimura | https://www.kimura.se/global-fight-league-debutgala-buenos-aires-18-december/
MMA Fighting | https://www.mmafighting.com/gfl/518374/gfl-announces-new-signings-for-december-relaunch-in-argentina
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GFL names eight Gauchos; Moraes reportedly out of Dec. 18MMA Fighting
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Nevada grants GFL one-event Las Vegas licence valid from 2027Kimura
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