UFC veteran sues GFL, Tom Aspinall teases octagon return, Khamzat Chimaev dismissed as "most feared" middleweight: MMA News Roundup 

Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda MMA News Roundup. A former UFC veteran has launched a lawsuit against the now-defunct Global Fight League (GFL). Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall has teased an update on his potential return. And in the middleweight division, a fresh contender is no longer treating Khamzat Chimaev like the division’s ultimate threat. Let's break it all down:

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Kevin Lee files a lawsuit against GFL

The Global Fight League, billed as the next major force in MMA, promised big fighter paydays, revenue sharing, and an athlete-first approach. But months before their first scheduled event, the entire operation collapsed when investors pulled out.

Now, Kevin Lee, one of the league’s most high-profile signees, is suing the organization for defamation and extortion. Lee alleges that GFL used his name to draw attention and credibility to their brand without delivering any contracts, payments, or events. Speaking in an interview on Sirius Radio’s MMA Today, he said:

“The talks were great, but there wasn’t any action behind it. I can’t speak too much on the situation because now we’re going through legal proceedings, and I’ll be suing them for defamation and some extortion. They used guys like me and our names to get out there and be a major face of the MMA promotion business, and nothing ever came from it."

Check out Kevin Lee's comments below:

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Tom Aspinall weighs in on potential return to action

Tom Aspinall has revealed that he has a fight date and location locked in for his return. While he hasn’t officially named his opponent, Aspinall made it clear that the long wait for Jon Jones is over. He believes Jones is effectively retired, and he’s moving on.

Aspinall hasn’t fought since his knockout win over Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 last summer. Speaking about his return in a recent appearance on ESPN MMA's Good Guy/ Bad Guy, Aspinall said:

“You guys are gonna see, you guys are gonna see really soon. This is exciting times for the heavyweight division, man. We get some movement.People are literally forgetting that heavyweights exist! Nobody’s fought for so long, like, this is crazy. They’ve got a guy holding it up, that’s old news, that’s old news. The active heavyweight champion is here to fight them all, let’s get it on. Well, I’ll tell you something: I’ve got a date and a location. I’ve got a date and a location.”

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Reinier de Ridder dismisses Khamzat Chimaev as the "most feared" man in the middleweight division

Reinier de Ridder doesn't consider Khamzat Chimaev as the biggest threat in the welterweight division. The Dutchman is coming off a statement victory over Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines.

While he respects Chimaev’s skills, de Ridder believes other middleweights, like Nassourdine Imavov and Dricus du Plessis, pose more complete and tactical threats. Speaking in a recent interview with Home Of Fight, de Ridder said:

"I think it will be a very cool grappling match, lots of nice wrestling scrambles, lots of nice positions to go through. But, I'll be happy if he gets some rounds in with Dricus [du Plessis] so I can have more to study. I think there are better fighters [than Chimaev] in the division to be honest. More complete guys, Imavov, he's very complete. He moves very well, very relaxed and smart when he fights. I think that might be a harder fight. But Khamzat is, of course, a great fighter."

Check out Reinier de Ridder's comments below: