Canadian Julia (The Jewel) Budd will take on American Holly (The Preachers’ Daughter) Holm in a matchup of former champions when the Global Fight League holds its first shows in May.
The new team-based mixed martial arts promotion will kick off with back-to-back shows May 24-25 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Budd, representing London, and Holm, part of the New York team, will meet in a bantamweight bout May 24.
Budd, a 41-year-old from Port Moody, B.C., is a former Bellator featherweight champion while the 43-year-old Holm (15-7-0) held the UFC bantamweight title.
Budd (17-6-0) has also fought in the PFL, Strikeforce and Invicta.
Randi (Rose City Phoenix) Field of Windsor, Ont., competing for Dubai, will take on American Paige (12 Gauge) VanZant, a former UFC fighter who is a member of the Miami team, in a strawweight bout on May 25.
Field has a 5-1-0 record while VanZant is 8-5-0.
The brainchild of Canadian Darren Owen, the GFL features six teams — Dubai, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Sao Paulo.
The teams drafted two fighters from each of the 10 weight classes (seven for men and three for women) in January.
Each division will have a weight limit slightly higher than those in other MMA promotions, to reduce the need for severe weight-cutting.
Key to the new promotion is the premise that athletes taking part in a fight card will share 50 per cent of the revenue generated.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2025.
The Canadian Press
