Jorge Masvidal revealed Monday that Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA's lightweight tournament is nearly fully assembled — and when it drops, it's going to turn heads.
Speaking on Fighter vs. Writer on MMA Fighting, the Gamebred FC president confirmed the 16-man lightweight bracket is 12 fighters deep, with the final four signatures still in progress.
We also have a lightweight tournament. We got about 12 guys. We're missing four keynote people that we're just working on getting their signatures. Once that one drops, I'll come right back on here and let you know who these 16 lightweights are. So far confirmed, we got about seven UFC veterans, three PFL veterans, and four or five Bellator alumni.
Best Fighters, Not Most Marketable
Masvidal explained the philosophy driving his fighter recruitment, distinguishing Gamebred FC from other promotions that prioritize name recognition over competitive quality. For him, the two are inseparable in the long run.
I'm not trying to find the most marketable guy in the world — I know what business is doing, that's what the other people on the team are doing. I'm trying to find the world's best fighters, the biggest dogs, because I believe they will be the most marketable at the end of the day and the biggest engine for the company.
Masvidal cited the old Pride FC and Dream tournaments as his model for why the format works, noting that the structure naturally produces compelling matchups with real stakes — no promoter thumb on the scale.
Personally, some of the most exciting fights were those Pride tournaments. I participated in some of those as well. It's pretty pure, right? There's not too much matchmaking. We care about the wins but we also care about the performance.
2026 Schedule and the $500K Prize
The heavyweight tournament — headlined by Anthony Smith vs. Chase Sherman in the opener — kicks off April 10 in the Dominican Republic. The full 2026 calendar runs through Miami events in May and December, with the heavyweight champion crowned on December 2.
Each tournament carries a $500,000 championship prize, a number Masvidal wants to grow significantly as the promotion scales. "I want that number to one day be like five million and get these fighters as much as I can, especially putting it all on the line with no gloves."
Masvidal has built a reputation among fighters for paying talent and not cutting performers simply for losing, separating Gamebred FC from the standard UFC model. The lightweight tournament announcement, when it comes, figures to further cement the promotion as a legitimate destination for elite free agents.