Bellator president Scott Coker remains unsure about the company’s future after their 300th event.
Following the final fight of the event, Coker responded to claims of a sale of the Viacom-owned promotion. Rumors began at the beginning of the year and have even spiraled into a claim that PFL was going to attempt a merger. He noted that “there’s a lot of uncertainty and a lot of unknowns right now” surrounding the promotion.
Scott Coker Speaks Out
Scott Coker seems to be just as confused as the rest of us. Speaking to media members after yesterday’s card, he said: “Listen, two weeks ago it was like, ‘Oh, this thing’s going down in a week.’ A month ago, it was [the same],” Coker said. “This thing’s been going back and forth for how long? For the last six months? And so, to me, I don’t want to really engage in any speculation or see where the future goes, as far as, ‘Is a deal going to happen? Is it not going to happen?’
“These things take time, and until the time gets solidified, to me it’s just speculation. So I can’t engage with that because it’s really unfair, I think, to the promotion, the 300th event. We had some great fights tonight. We’ve been doing some great fights over the last, let’s say, eight, nine years. And this company has grown so much. Tonight’s a celebration.”
Bellator’s parent company, Paramount, is looking to cut costs at the media conglomerate. This comes as a direct result of the ever-changing media climate and the pivot to streaming services. The new streaming model has meant that companies have to cut overhead, while customers are forced to pay more. Throughout Bellator deals, PFL remains in the forefront to buy the company, especially with the Saudi-backed funding they have received as of late.
Scott Coker has been through this before, as he owned Strikeforce up until 2011. The promotion grew into a serious rival for the UFC, and they continued to hold events until January 2013, after the UFC stripped them of much of their stars. Former Strikeforce standouts include the Diaz brothers, Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, and former UFC champion Dan Henderson.
Coker joined Bellator in 2014 after Bellator had already had 121 of its events, replacing CEO Bjorn Rebney.
Coker in the Dark As Bellator Head
Scott Coker seems to have a different role in the management of Bellator, and it appears he does not have any say in the direction of the promotion going forward. He continues to run the promotion as best he can, and he has proven time and time again that he is an incredible promoter. However, this situation is entirely different. Coker and Bellator’s backs are against the wall, and Coker is not any more clear on the future of the promotion.
“Keep in mind, guys, I don’t own Bellator,” Coker said. “Bellator is not my company to own or to sell, to keep, to merge. It’s owned by Viacom, and they have a process that they do, and they’re doing what they need to do. But it’s not something that I own, to sell or not sell.”
Coker does not have any direction in the company, he said. “The difference is I owned Strikeforce, right?” he added. “This is something that I don’t own, so it’s hard for me to really comment on that because it’s completely different. Now, there are some feelings that feel the same, but at the end of the day it’s not my company.”
Bellator’s 300th event took place last night at San Diego’s Pechanga Arena. Usman Nurmagomedov, Cris Cyborg, and Liz Carmouche all defended their title belts.
Featured Image Credits to Embed from Getty Images
