Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has put in the time required for a Mixed Martial Arts organization to find success.
Rebney works 18-hour days and the organization’s recent agreement to air preliminary action live and free on Spike.com is a testament to his hard work.
Bellator 49, which takes place tonight at New Jersey’s Caesars Atlantic City, will be the inaugural event for the Spike.com stream which begins at 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT).
Additionally, tonight’s action will air in high-definition on EPIX and MTV 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET (6:00 p.m. PT) and kicks off the opening round of the organization’s welterweight tournament.
Prior to yesterday’s Bellator 49 weigh-ins Rebney spoke with BleacherReport.com regarding the event, Spike.com and the organization’s young stars.
B/R: Congratulations on the prelims being aired on Spike.com, how nice is it to have the preliminary action being aired for the Mixed Martial Arts world to see?
Bjorn Rebney: “It’s awesome, absolutely awesome. You and I know it, you look at Spike (and) you see the name, you see the brand, it’s anonymous with Mixed Martial Arts and it’s where the vast majority of us have gone since 2005 to watch Mixed Martial Arts. It’s the reason what you and I believe is the greatest sport on the face of the earth is crossed over into the general market.
“You think MMA, you think Spike so to be on Spike.com for the preliminary fights for two-full hours and to be associated with that spectacular brand is just an awesome addition to what we’re doing with MTV 2 under that MTV networks umbrella. Now, what we’re doing in HD every week, every Saturday night on Epix, it’s a very powerful way for fans to see four-hours of really spectacular Bellator content, going from Spike.com to MTV 2 and Epix. It’s very exciting to be connected and attached to a brand that has that kind of equity and the space.”
B/R: Bellator 49 features the opening round of the welterweight-tournament, with Ben Saunders, Dan Hornbuckle, Douglas Lima, and others slated to compete. It appears that fans are in for a full night of excitement…
Bjorn Rebney: “I think that when you’re looking at a tournament, whether it’s in basketball, or Bellator, Mixed Martial Arts fighting, or whether it’s in soccer, or whatever your sport is you’re hoping for a tournament where there are a group of world class fighters and not a prohibitive favorite. Where you can walk into any game and think ‘Hey, I’m going to get a great game out of it, or hey, I’m walking into this fight and I can potentially get an amazing fight out of it.’
“I think when you look down this fight, the (Chris) Lozano – (Brent) Weedman fight has potential (and) spectacular nature written all over it. The Luis Santos versus Dan Hornbuckle fight, I’ve said it many times it boils down to does Dan Hornbuckle show up or does the “Handler” show up? If the “Handler” shows up against Luis Santos, we could have a fight of the night candidate on our hands. If Dan Hornbuckle shows up against Luis Santos, I think Dan could be in for a very long night. That fight potentially could be something amazing. Lima is really the top prospect in the world at 170 pounds and he’s going to have his hands full with Steve Carl. What’s not fun about Ben Saunders versus Chris Cisneros, stylistically that’s going to be a stand up battle for as long as it lasts. So, I’m pretty excited and I think we have the potential for something pretty special.”
B/R: With the aforementioned matchups on the docket for tomorrow night, is there a particular fight that you’re looking forward to seeing as a fan?
Bjorn Rebney: “The one as a fan when I take the CEO hat off that I’m really looking forward to seeing is Luis Santos versus Dan Hornbuckle and like I said, ‘I hope against hope that the fight is Santos versus the “Handler”, because I know what the Handler can do, because I saw him fight for years before he came to Bellator. Dan had an initial few fights in the tournaments for us a year and a half ago and has not been a great roll as of late.
“But I do know what the “Handler” is capable of and if the “Handler” re-emerges then with his style and the way he puts kicks together, the way he puts punches together, and what he can do on the ground versus Luis Santos, who I know is in very high, very aggressive level right now then it has the makings for an incredible fight. But I don’t think the Dan we’ve seen over the last few fights is a guy who can stand in there with Luis Santos. So, I’m very, very interested in seeing what happens in that fight. That’s kind of the one I’m looking at going ‘Wow, this could be an amazing fight.’
B/R: You’re at Caesar’s in Atlantic City for this event, what has the atmosphere in the city been like leading up to tomorrow’s night action?
Bjorn Rebney: “It’s been great, if you’re here at Caesar’s in Atlantic City, you’re in the greater Philadelphia area or anywhere around New Jersey, I think there’s about 100 tickets left (and) we’re very, very close to a sell out, so people should come down. A lot of posters, a lot of billboards on the highway, a lot of excitement around the fights, (and) a lot of fight fans hanging around the lobby talking to the guys and getting autographs and pictures.
“It’s an exciting environment and there’s a lot of big fight action going on in Atlantic City this weekend. I think there’s an HBO here fight at Boardwalk Hall where we’ll be on October 15 for Eddie’s (Alvarez) fight against Mike Chandler and obviously our show that’s live on Epix and MTV 2. So, (there’s) a big excitement level and a very educated fan base.”
B/R: Your job is primarily to build the Bellator brand and to produce great shows with world class fighters like Eddie Alvarez, Ben Askren and Michael Chandler. What’s it like for you to see Bellator and the fighters continuing to grow and achieve success?
Bjorn Rebney: “It’s awesome, you hit dead center on it, guys like Mike Chandler who came to us with very few fights but have absolutely, unlimited potential, a crazy work ethic, and almost a sponge like ability to gather information and tools in this game of Mixed Martial Arts. If you would’ve asked me when Mike Chandler was going into the finals of the most recent lightweight tournament that he was going to stand and strike with Patricky “Pitbull”, who many people in the MMA space were saying is one of the most dangerous strikers in the world at 155, I would’ve bet the house that he would use his strikes to set up his take-downs and go in for a double leg, put him on his back, and try to win the fight. Chandler’s maturation in this game is like the maturation of Bellator, it’s been at such a fast level and it’s been so dramatic that he actually out-struck Patricky “Pitbull” in that fight. If you watched the fight, it’s kind of awe-inspiring that a guy who up until about three years ago had never hit anyone in the face intentionally in combat sports. He’d been a wrestler, gone through “Mizzou”, an elite collegiate level guy, but had really no striking experience in the game and to progress to that level and out-strike a guy who’s been hitting and kicking people in the face at a world class level since he was a kid is just shocking.
“Also, look at Pat Curran, if there ever is anyone that is a poster fighter for what Bellator can do for a fighter’s career and the opportunity it can provide it’s Pat Curran. He goes in 18 months ago in a lightweight tournament and he got in only because Jeff Curran begged me for a spot for Pat. He said that he wouldn’t disappoint and that if I ever trusted anything he’s said I should believe him that Pat was the real deal.
“Pat goes in and knocks out Mike Ricci, who supposed to be the next GSP (Georges St. Pierre) out of Canada, then beats Roger Huerta in an absolute must win fight for Huerta, then beats Toby Imada wins the lightweight tournament, and faces Eddie Alvarez, goes five rounds against a guy who I feel is the most dangerous puncher in the world at 155 pounds. Then drops to 145 pounds and continues to elevate his game and knocks out Marlon Sandro, who going into that fight was the No. 5 ranked featherweight on earth.
“To watch these guys progress and become some of the best in the world under this banner is awesome, it’s an awesome thing to see.
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