Former UFC Champ Signs With New Promotion, Wants 2 Fights In 2025

Former UFC champion Renan Barao has signed with the Global Fight League (GFL). Barao’s name is one of dozens of recognizable ones linked to the new MMA, team-based league set to debut in 2025.

Barao, 37, is also another one of the fighters, former champions, and veterans whose advanced age may have fans wondering if they can still compete at a high level.

“I was just training in jiu-jitsu when I received a call from my manager,” Barao said, per Sherdog. “I got it right away, Iiked the system and it will be a pleasure to defend Brazil in MMA. The proposal was good — actually it could be better — but anyway, it motivated me to return to an MMA training routine. I had high expectations to fight twice a year in the featherweight division and present myself in the best possible way.”

At one point, Renan Barao was widely considered the best fighter in the UFC. In 2014, Barao was the reigning UFC men’s bantamweight champion. He won the title in 2012 when he scored a unanimous decision win over Urijah Faber at UFC 149.

Barao defended his title three times, stopping Michael McDonald, Eddie Wineland, and Faber in a rematch before losing the title to TJ Dillashaw in May 2014.

Barao’s battles with the scale at 135 pounds make it easy to see why he would be competing at featherweight, but it should be noted that the Brazilian’s last bouts weren’t pretty. Barao’s UFC career ended on a five-fight losing streak, and the skid also included two weight misses.

The last time Barao competed in MMA was in October 2023, where he lost a split decision to Walter Zamora. Perhaps the time off and the opportunity to compete at 145 pounds will rejuvenate Barao.

Here is a look at the complete roster for the GFL in all weight classes:

Heavyweight

• Alan Belcher
• Aleksandr Maslov
• Aleksei Oleinik
• Andrei Arlovski
• Fabrício Werdum
• Frank Mir
• Junior dos Santos
• Oli Thompson
• Greg Hardy
• Guto Inocente
• Philipe Lins
• Robelis Despaigne
• Roggers Souza
• Stuart Austin
• Tanner Boser

Light Heavyweight

• Alexander Gustafsson
• Cleiton Silva
• Emiliano Sordi
• Ilir Latifi
• Rafael Carvalho
• Thiago Santos
• Da Woon Jung

Middleweight

• Gegard Mousasi
• Chauncey Foxworth
• Glaico Franca
• Héctor Lombard
• Jared Revel
• Jozef Wittner
• Kyle Daukaus
• Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz
• Luke Rockhold
• Markus Perez
• Phil Hawes
• Wanderlei Silva

Welterweight

• Abubakar Nurmagomedov
• Austin Tweedy
• Adilet Nurmatov
• Benson Henderson
• Danny Mitchell
• Dominick Meriweather
• Francisco Trinaldo
• Joao Zeferino
• Jozef Wittner
• Jordan Mein
• Julio Spadaccini
• Michael Irizarry
• Rousimar Palhares
• Ruan Machado
• Tyron Woodley

Lightweight

• Amirkhon Alikhuzhaev
• Aaron McKenzie
• Anthony Pettis
• Alex Oliveira
• Ayton De Paepe
• Charles Rosa
• Feruz Usmonov
• Gabriel Souza Galindo
• Ayinda Nah Octave Tiphaine
• Christian Giagos
• Benson Henderson
• Ayinda Octave
• Jefferson Pontes
• Jeremy Stephens
• John Makdessi
• Kevin Lee
• Killys Mota
• Lucas Martins
• Mohamed Tarek Mohey
• Oscar Ownsworth
• Raimundo Batista
• Sidney Outlaw
• Stephen Beaumont
• Will Brooks
• William Lima
• Yan Cabral

Featherweight

• Alexsandro Lopes Cangaty
• Bubba Jenkins
• Andre Harrison
• Claudeci Brito
• Deberson Batista
• Lance Palmer
• Marcel Adur
• Marcelo Dias
• Marlon Moraes
• Mohammad Abzakh
• Patrizio de Souza Janurario
• Renan Oliveira
• Renan Barão

Bantamweight

• Cameron Else
• Denis Palancica
• Diego Teixeira
• Jimmie Rivera
• Marciano Ferreira
• Omar Arteaga
• Marcus Paulo Amaral

Women’s Bantamweight

• Alexa Conners
• Queila Braga
• Pannie Kianzad
• Tonya Evinger

Women’s Flyweight

• Chiara Penco
• Kalindra Faria
• Miao Ding

Women’s Strawweight

• Bi Nguyen
• Viviane Pereira
• Silvania Monteiro
• Hannah Goldy
• Jessica Penne
• Kayla Hracho