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Scott Coker Believes Benson Henderson Should Fight At 155, But Will Allow 170

While the final decision will ultimately be up to Benson Henderson himself, Bellator MMA President Scott Coker made it clear that he has no problem with :”Smooth” Henderson remaining a 170-pound fighter under the Bellator umbrella if that’s what he cho…

Henderson was beaten down in a one-sided fight against Bellator 170-pound champion Andrei Koreshkov this past Friday night at the Bellator 153 event at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, a show that aired live on Spike TV.

After the event, Coker took part in a media scrum and discussed his thoughts on the Henderson-Koreshkov fight, as well as what’s next for the former UFC Lightweight Champion.

Regarding the fight itself, Coker said it was clear that Henderson was on the wrong side of a one-sided fight.

“It was a tough fight man. Benson took a lot of shots. Even from the very beginning he looked like he was a foot shorter than Koreshkov. Koreshkov is no joke, man. He’s got a lot of power, and everything is hard. He hits hard with every shot. You saw the fight, it was clearly one-sided. So we’ll see what Benson wants to do next.”

As far as the decision to fight a 170-pound champion in his debut, despite the fact that he spent the majority of his career at 155-pounds, the same weight class he won a world title at in the UFC, Coker claimed it was Henderson’s choice.

“That was really his choice. He wanted to fight at 170, so we said fine. But he wanted to fight Koreshkov. Now I think he’s going to get together with his coach and see what’s probably best for his next step. Can he fight guys at 170? Yeah, but Koreshkov’s just a big man. He’s super-strong and he hits hard. I’m not sure what Benson could have done differently. He took a lot of shots and he didn’t have an answer for any of the offensive weapons that Koreshkov had.”

While Coker made it clear that Benson can remain at 170 pounds if he would like to, he did share his belief that he would probably have better success if he were to fight at 155 pounds again.

“A fight’s a fight, anything can happen. You could see his punches were short all-night long. And that reach that Koreshkov has, I don’t think he had an answer for that. I think Benson really had a lot of his better fights at 155, but that’s really is choice.”

H/T to MMAFighting.com for transcribing the above Scott Coker quotes.

Scott Coker: Bellator Would Be Interested In Rory MacDonald

Since taking over as President of Bellator MMA in 2014, Scott Coker has turned the promotion into a serious player – or at least somewhat of a competitor to the UFC in terms of luring in high profile fighters. In recent memory, notable UFC fighters such as Josh Thomson, Josh Koscheck, Phil Davis, Matt Mitrione

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In recent memory, notable UFC fighters such as Josh Thomson, Josh Koscheck, Phil Davis, Matt Mitrione and even former champion Benson Henderson have jumped ship to Bellator in regards for better conditions, or better pay.

Speaking on the matter at a recent Bellator press conference (Via MMAJunkie), Coker advised fighters to test free agency, claiming that Bellator emerging as a contender is good for MMA as a whole:

“You should fight your fights out, because we’re here too. “Now, there’s more than one buyer, which is good for the market, which is good for individuals, which is good for the league, which is good for the industry,” he said.

As far as future endeavors go, Bellator will continue their efforts to bring in the best fighters in the world according to Coker.

One name that stands out as a possible target could be 26 year old UFC welterweight contender and former title challenger Rory “Red King” MacDonald.

MacDonald, although young in age, has become a veteran of the fight game, and he’s currently gearing up to fight the last fight on his current contract with the UFC, as he’ll take on surging contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in the main event of June’s UFC Fight Night 89 from his home of Canada.

The “Red King” recently stated that he’d be willing to test free agency in search of the most lucrative deal offered, and it appears as if Coker and Company will attempt to be at the forefront of those negotiations:

“He’s a guy that we’d be interested in talking to, if the time is right,” Coker said.

Could you see a young star like MacDonald making the jump to Bellator in the future?

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Scott Coker Defends “Freak Show” Fights, Kimbo Slice Is MMA’s Biggest Star

Bellator MMA officials have announced Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson and Paul Daley vs. Josh Koscheck for Bellator 158, which takes place on July 16 in London. Bellator MMA held a press conference on Thursday in London to promote the event, and some news outlets caught up with Bellator MMA President Scott Coker. During the

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Bellator MMA officials have announced Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson and Paul Daley vs. Josh Koscheck for Bellator 158, which takes place on July 16 in London.

Bellator MMA held a press conference on Thursday in London to promote the event, and some news outlets caught up with Bellator MMA President Scott Coker. During the interviews, Coker defended the fights that he has booked that included Slice. Some fans hate the fact that the promotion is booking “freak show” fights and some fans love it. However, Coker has justified the reason that he continues to book Slice over and over.

“Kimbo Slice is a character of his own,” Coker told MMA Latest. “He resonates with fans, unlike any other fighter I’ve seen. Who’s the most watched fighter in MMA history? You know what? It’s not Ronda Rousey, it’s not even Conor McGregor – it’s Kimbo Slice. It might be hard for some fans to swallow, but at the end of the day, 7.2 million viewers on CBS live against James Thompson. We’re bringing that fight back here, and I think it’s the fight that fans want to see.”

Coker does have a point with the kind of ratings that these kinds of fights bring in. If you compare the freak show fights that average over a million to the other Bellator cards, which pulls in an average of 900,000 viewers, you can understand where Coker and Spike TV are coming from.

“One of the greatest moments in the history of MMA was the (Pride Shockwave) Dynamite,” Coker told Combate. “It was an event in Japan where Bob Sapp faced (Minotauro) Nogueira. He did not even know to fight and was beginning, starting workouts. He took the Nogueira and hit the ground in this great struggle.Nogueira the finished, but in Japan, they have this kind of fight the whole time. In addition, Akebono fought Royce Gracie, and this is part of martial arts. MMA does not have to always be what fans “hardcore” want it. I grew up in a system that said, “Hey, these fights happen all the time in the MMA industry.” The most fanatical fans might not see that way, and some do not like. But we have 3.3 million people who watched and liked. Can you say that this kind of fight, thinking “outside the box”, reach an audience even greater for our industry. The most fanatical fans may not agree, but the average US audience saw and liked the show.”

“If we do three or four fights for the most fanatical fans and booked a time when that style … Guys like Kimbo Slice and Bob Sapp … I do not think you have a problem with that (…) I am very excited not by what we did last year or in recent months, but by what we do in the next two, three years.Honestly, the experience I had with Strikeforce … Four, five champions we did in Strikeforce, and also fighters who had not been champions, won the UFC belt. We have a great cast, I’ve been down this road before, and I think I know how to promote.”

It will be very interesting to see how this show does in the ratings.

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Bellator Also Pleased With New York Ruling On MMA

Add Bellator MMA to the list of those pleased by the news that came out of New York on Tuesday. The New York State Assembly passed through to Governor Andrew Cuomo a bill that would allow professional MMA in the state.

https://twitter.com/BellatorMMA/status/712412808453824513

Bellator sent this out on Tuesday evening:

Today, the State of New York passed legislation that will allow the sport of mixed martial arts to emanate from the “Empire State.”

Bellator MMA President Scott Coker had this to say regarding the landmark announcement:

“The New York Assembly’s vote to legalize MMA is a watershed moment for this incredible sport. As someone who has been promoting combat sports for more than 30 years, this is a very exciting time for mixed martial arts. We at Bellator MMA are very much looking forward to hosting an event in the ‘Crown Jewel of America,’ New York. Two Bellator champions, Liam McGeary and Marcos Galvao call New York home and I know it means a great deal to the both of them, as it does for the entire promotion. We’ve already been in contact with the great people at the Barclays Center and several other incredible venues, and we can’t wait bring our world-class athletes and action-packed shows to an arena in the Empire State soon.”

We're in a New York State of Mind! Historic day for our sport. #BellatorNation #MMA4NY pic.twitter.com/etMTaIq9gG

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 22, 2016

Bellator sent this out on Tuesday evening:

Today, the State of New York passed legislation that will allow the sport of mixed martial arts to emanate from the “Empire State.”

Bellator MMA President Scott Coker had this to say regarding the landmark announcement:

“The New York Assembly’s vote to legalize MMA is a watershed moment for this incredible sport. As someone who has been promoting combat sports for more than 30 years, this is a very exciting time for mixed martial arts. We at Bellator MMA are very much looking forward to hosting an event in the ‘Crown Jewel of America,’ New York. Two Bellator champions, Liam McGeary and Marcos Galvao call New York home and I know it means a great deal to the both of them, as it does for the entire promotion. We’ve already been in contact with the great people at the Barclays Center and several other incredible venues, and we can’t wait bring our world-class athletes and action-packed shows to an arena in the Empire State soon.”

Bellator Needs Changes after Dada 5000 Scare

On Friday, Bellator 149 saw the historic return of Royce Gracie facing Ken Shamrock in a rubber match. Kimbo Slice and Dada 5000 faced off in the co-main event in a clash of two well known street fighters. The event had mixed reactions and even a controversy of the main event where Royce Gracie won by 1st round TKO. Allegedly, Ken Shamrock was kneed in the groin before he was knocked out before the referee could even see it.

But the main focal point that should be discussed is Dada 5000 and the heart failure he suffered after his loss to Kimbo Slice. According to numerous reports and confirmed by Bellator, Dada 5000 was taken out of the cage in a stretcher after he lost due to exhaustion.

He had severe dehydration and high levels of Potassium after the bout. Dhafir Harris’s family put out a statement that suggested that his extreme weight cut could have been the culprit for his heart failure. Harris is in stable condition now but this is a serious wakeup call for Bellator.

Scott Coker has made no secret that he wants to put on fights that fans want to see.

“We want to put on the most entertaining events possible for you,” Coker said in an open letter to fans. “Our goal is to make every Bellator event big.”

Coker has gone out to make fan favorite fights such as Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock and “King Mo” vs. Rampage Jackson. But Friday saw what happens when things do not go the way they should have.

Dada 5000 had no place to be fighting in a sanctioned MMA fight. His last fight was five years ago and is mostly known for his street fighting credentials. He came in at the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds and clearly showed his fatigue and novice MMA experience inside the Bellator cage. Joe Rogan went to Twitter to call his bout with Kimbo Slice, “the worst fight i’ve ever seen.”

By the mid-way point of the 2nd round, both Kimbo Slice and Dada 5000 were exhausted. Both fighters did not have much left in the tank. This is not the type of fight that fans should be seeing on national television. Mixed martial arts should be a display of incredible athletes and their incredible skills.

We did not see many skills or forms of martial arts from Slice and Dada 5000. It was a ‘street fight’ as advertised and saw one fighter suffer a serious medical condition. There is a platform for street fights and sloppy backyard fighting called YouTube. But national television should be a display of true forms of martial arts.

Scott Coker has made no secret that he wants to put on fights that fans want to see.

“We want to put on the most entertaining events possible for you,” Coker said in an open letter to fans. “Our goal is to make every Bellator event big.”

Coker has gone out to make fan favorite fights such as Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock and “King Mo” vs. Rampage Jackson. But Friday saw what happens when things do not go the way they should have.

Scott Coker Says Bellator Passed On Alistair Overeem

Alistair Overeem recently signed a new contract with the UFC. Earlier this week, Overeem said he did not talk to any other companies aside from the UFC, but now Bellator president Scott Coker says otherwise. Coker told MMAFighting that Bellator MMA passed on making an offer to Overeem when he was a free agent.

“I don’t want to make a big deal out of it, but, of course, there were negotiations going on,” Coker told MMAFighting. “It’s true that Alistair wasn’t talking to me directly because his agent or manager or lawyer was talking to me. I think that’s kind of what the story is, and negotiations went back and forth, and at the end of the day, we chose not to make an offer. And really what it came down to was a value proposition of what he wanted and what he thought was the market value for him. So that’s what it really comes down to.”

Overeem says he’ll be headlining UFC Fight Night 87 on May 8th.

“I don’t want to make a big deal out of it, but, of course, there were negotiations going on,” Coker told MMAFighting. “It’s true that Alistair wasn’t talking to me directly because his agent or manager or lawyer was talking to me. I think that’s kind of what the story is, and negotiations went back and forth, and at the end of the day, we chose not to make an offer. And really what it came down to was a value proposition of what he wanted and what he thought was the market value for him. So that’s what it really comes down to.”

Overeem says he’ll be headlining UFC Fight Night 87 on May 8th.