Jorge Masvidal Announces Gamebred FC’s ‘Next Chapter’ With DAZN Partnership

Gamebred FC, Jorge Masvidal's promotion, has come to terms with DAZN on a new media rights deal to bring its cards to the streaming platform. 

Jorge Masvidal Calls DAZN Partnership the Start of Gamebred FC’s Next Chapter

The announcement came during Saturday night's Teofimo Lopez vs. Rolly Romero event, with the fighter himself confirming that his promotion’s future shows will air live on DAZN and be available free to the platform's subscribers.

For the 41-year-old UFC veteran, the deal represents more than simply finding a new place to broadcast fights. In fact, the new alliance with DAZN gives Gamebred FC a real opportunity to expand beyond the audience it built through YouTube and put its bare-knuckle form of MMA to a much wider adience pool. 

“This is the moment we built Gamebred FC for,” Masvidal said in a press release. “We built this sport to be the rawest, most honest version of MMA there is,  bare knuckles, full rules, real fighters, nowhere to hide.”

Masvidal, aka “Street Jesus,” further upped the ante, adding, “This isn’t just a broadcast deal this is the start of the next chapter for Gamebred FC.”

Gamebred FC Offers Bare-Knuckle MMA

For the unversed, Masvidal’s promotion operates under a particularly brutal concept. Fighters compete without gloves but are still permitted to use the full range of MMA techniques, including punches, kicks, takedowns, grappling, and submissions. 

In essence, one could see it as the most authentic form of MMA, unlike other bare-knuckle promotions that emphasize boxing. 

Gamebred FC Launches on DAZN Sept. 12

In addition, Gamebred FC has also announced four upcoming events under the new partnership. The promotion is slated to head to Russia on Sept. 12, then to the Dominican Republic on Oct. 2 If that’s not enticing enough, the GFC head honchos have added two Miami events, scheduled for Oct. 30 and Dec. 12.

Those cards will continue Gamebred's heavyweight and lightweight World Grand Prix tournaments, each of which began with a 16-man field. Now, here’s the icing on top of the cake: the winner of each tournament will walk away with $500,000, putting a combined $1 million in prize money on the line.

The fields have already attracted recognizable MMA names. Former UFC title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos are among those involved, adding established pedigree to a promotion that is clearly trying to make more noise in an increasingly crowded combat sports market.

Masvidal Has Unfinished Business in the UFC

On one hand, the former UFC lightweight/welterweight is trying to turn his promotion into a bigger player in combat sports, armed with DAZN's global reach, a four-event schedule, and tournaments carrying life-changing prize money. On the other hand, the former BMF title holder still appears to have the itch to get back in the octagon again.

Recently, Masvidal made it clear that he remains open to a UFC comeback, and the possibility appears to be more than idle talk. In fact, the veteran even suggested that discussions with White have been ongoing, and that the financial side of a potential return is moving in the right direction.

If he does return, Masvidal already has a name in his mind, Leon Edwards. Now, the rivalry between Masvidal and Edwards has been simmering since the 2019 altercation. Their infamous backstage confrontation in London immortalized Masvidal's legendary “three-piece and a soda” line, but the two never got the chance to settle things inside the Octagon.

A fight between them was previously booked for UFC 269, but Masvidal withdrew due to injury. Yet despite Masvidal bidding adieu to UFC, and his British rival down in a slump, the tension between the two still hasn't entirely settled, and Masvidal has now made it clear that he is willing to lace up the gloves one more time if the UFC sets up the Edwards grudge match.