Den före detta UFC-fightern Zach Light lämnade tidigare in en stämningsansökan mot Bellator, där han anklagar organisationen för att ha förfalskat läkarintyg och äventyrat fighters hälsa för att tjäna pengar.
Light anställd av före detta VD:n och grundaren Bjorn Rebney under 2011 och saker och ting förändrades sedan när nuvarande VD:n Scott Coker tog över positionen. Enligt Light började man då i organisationen ha börjat bryta mot ett flertal regler.
Det här kunde man läsa i Lights ansökan:
Approximately 48 hours prior to Martinez’s scheduled fight at Bellator 126, [Light] promptly reported what he had learned to Rich Chou, defendant BELLATOR’s Vice President of Talent. Chou assured [Light] that he would follow up and that [Light] should focus on his job. When [Light] heard nothing further from Chou, he approached Coker regarding Martinez’ impending fight based on forged medicals, in violation of Arizona law. Coker told [Light] to ‘do what Chou told you to do,’ without addressing these issues. Thereafter, [Light] again brought the subject up to Chou. Chou threatened[Light] with termination if he kept pushing the issue. [Light] later learned that after losing his bout, Martinez never resumed his mixed martial arts career.
Prior to the Bellator 131 event, [Light] told Coker that fighters had been suspended for using Rendon to sign their medicals because Rendon was not a licensed physician. Coker told [Light], ‘a lot of people at Bellator are going to lose their jobs next week. Do you want to keep yours?’ Coker added, ‘then stay in your lane and stop making waves!’ Fearful of losing his job, [Light] said nothing further regarding the falsified medical reports.
Coker told [Light] to ‘get the terrorist’s fighters beaten and beaten badly,’ thereby allowing Coker to cut ties between defendant BELLATOR and McCann [sic]. [Light] was required to arrange fights between McGann’s fighters and opponents who would convincingly defeat them. Such outcomes would then enable Coker to have a convenient pretext to terminate McGann’s fighters’ promotional contracts with defendant BELLATOR. Such collusive matches were tantamount to fight fixing and constituted a fraud on ticket buyers, fight patrons, television viewers, advertisers, and the public at large, as well as McGann and the professional fighters he managed.
In late 2014 and early 2015, a close friend of Coker, Mike Kogan, was hired by defendant BELLATOR in an executive capacity. [Light] knew that Kogan represented numerous mixed martial arts fighters, many of whom were under professional agreements with defendant BELLATOR. [Light] is informed and believes and thereon alleges that Kogan was paid management commissions for fighters he represented in bouts that occurred with defendant BELLATOR. This was a serious conflict of interest in violation of California Business and Professions Code, §§ 18878, 18897.27, and 18897.47, as well as California Code of Regulations, Title 4, § 243. [Light], aware of and concerned about the glaring conflict of interest that existed when an executive of defendant BELLATOR also managed fighters competing for defendant BELLATOR, expressed his strong concerns regarding these conflicts to Chou. Chou responded, ‘leave it alone, he’s on our team.’
