Tyron Woodley, a former UFC welterweight champion, was selected first overall by the Dubai team in the inaugural Global Fight League draft, which included 120 fighters and other former UFC champions.
Tyron Woodley is truly “The Chosen One” at the GFL draft.
Friday night was electric as the Global Fight League kicked off its first-ever promotional draft. With 120 fighters joining six different teams, the promotion promises to redefine MMA’s future. And guess who’s leading this charge? Yup, Tyron Woodley snagged the top spot, chosen first overall by the Dubai team.
Woodley’s no stranger to victory. He reigned as the UFC welterweight champion from 2016 to 2018. But let’s keep it real—his UFC career ended on a four-fight skid, exiting in 2021. After that, he took on Jake Paul in boxing twice but didn’t quite get the W either time. Since then? Radio silence in the ring.
But hey, Woodley’s not flying solo in this league of legends. Former UFC heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos was snapped up third overall by Miami’s team. Meanwhile, Fabricio Werdum, another heavyweight titan, went fourth to Sao Paulo’s squad. Oh, and don’t miss this—New York picked up Chris Weidman in round two after his recent retirement from UFC. Miami? They doubled down on star power with Anthony Pettis, a former lightweight champ.
Want to keep up with all the GFL draft picks? Follow along here!