The following events in this thread occur on June 18th, 2020 so no references or statements should be made on social media regarding this event until June 18th, 2020 . Due to COVID-19 the press conference will be held via ZOOM.
On Sammie Ward winning the GCC bantamweight championship.
''Huge. Sammie Ward winning in the manner in which she did at GCC 9 really solidified that she's going to be the one to beat in that division. We always knew Sammie Ward has what it takes what I was really surprised about was how she was received by fans around the world. Her name certainly has a buzz to it right about now and we're looking to capitalize on it. I honestly couldn't be more proud of the women's bantamweight division and how quickly a top division like this has taken shape. There's so many great fights to be had here, I can't wait to see who rises to the occasion.''
On the Global Ultimate Fighter Auditions
''The auditions went very well. We're just about done with casting for the show. The splat crew will spend a few weeks recording the show and then air dates will be announced. We have a pretty diverse and talented selection here with virtually every relevant fighting discipline represented so it'll be interesting to see how the cast interacts with each other and ultimately who goes onto to win the show.''
On the Middleweight and Lightweight Divisions
''Expansion, expansion, expansion. We want these divisions to be looked at the same way our women's divisions are and that's part of the reason we're highlighting these guys on our first season of the Global Ultimate Fighter. We know the talent is out there we just have to find it.''
On the new contract structure
''We needed to make some changes. We've grown so much as a company within the last year that we wanted to make sure that our fighters are being taken care of. While our previous fight agreement system had less paper work involved it did give leeway to situations that allowed us to be exploited. This new contract structure leaves everything out on the table, no surprises.''
On low ranked fighters losing money
''While I understand that for some fighters they may find that they are losing money but the reality is they were being over paid due to the win bonuses. Our new pay structure merely encourages an increase in productivity among all fighters on our roster.''
On additional pay increases
''They are coming. While we are paying our fighters more we are trying to do so in a bad global economy. We have held our last several shows without a live gate which has resulted in millions of dollars being lost alone. Overall, our new pay structure encourages hard work and rewards our fighters for it and is a leap in a positive direction. Once we get the fans back into our arenas, we will look to sweeten the deal with our top fighters and we'll begin to break down percentages that make sense.''
On the GFN 10 Main Event
''I think this is going to be a great fight between two of the best wrestlers in MMA. A lot of times when you have two great wrestlers in the cage they end up cancelling each-other out so I think we're going to see both men heavily rely on different aspects of their mixed martial arts game. Erik as a former GCC heavyweight champion has been in that spot before and we've seen him excel, Ross Hanson? Not so much. However since the Aleksandr Baranov fight Ross Hanson is a completely different athlete behind the scenes. You can't get this guy out of the gym, I've heard. He's motivated. He's changing the perceptions about him on a daily basis and he doesn't plan on stopping at GFN 10. I am also proud to announce that the winner of this fight will face off against the winner of Alejandro Rivera and Jay Aguero for the GCC heavyweight championship.''
Press Conference Soundbytes
"This is my first true test as a mixed martial artist and who better to face than one of the Petrovs? I might be a little nervous now but once the gloves are on that bell rings, there's a reason my trainers call me the Sicilian Savage and everyone's going to bare witness when I show them why I'm a future star in this sport. I have all the respect in the world for a warrior like Mila but first impressions are lasting ones, especially in the fighting world. At GFN 10, she goes 1 - 1 and I start building my own legacy by walking out with a big win."'
"Most think that I can only wrestle, that I'm one-sided, and that's why I lost the belt but there's a lot of power in these. I will show that I'm not as one-dimensional as people think I am".
''I'm looking to go in there and impress, I feel I didn't show off how good I am in my last fight and I need that to be different this time.
''Manuel's gonna get a lesson on what to be ready for when he steps in that octagon.''
''I kinda feel sorry for the kid to be honest. He doesn't know what he's walking in too. Did you guys not already see what Mantis did to homeboy's daddy? You know how it goes, like father like son.''