Bellators president Scott Coker gick tidigare ut med ett uttalande om att Bellators lätt tungviktsdivision är bättre än UFC:s. Något som UFC:s president Dana White fann väldigt roande och uttalade sig med att flera utav toppnamnen i Bellators lätt tungvikt är fighters som UFC släppt.
Coker berättade för MMAJunkie under presskonferensen inför Bellator 245 i fredags att han står fast vid att Bellators lätt tungviktsdivision är bättre. Han menar också på att Dana White ljuger om att UFC släppt fighters till Bellator då dessa skall ha skrivt på för Bellator efter att deras kontrakt med UFC gått ut. Exempelvis Ryan Bader och Phil Davis.
“We do have the best 205-pound division on the planet, bar none, When you think about the fighters that we have, tonight, Phil and Machida, then you have (Vadim) Nemkov. I think Gegard (Mousasi) will eventually move up to 205 because he told me he wants to move up to 205. … That group has become a really healthy, robust division for us.
“Ryan Bader and Phil Davis, or anyone that’s come over from the UFC, they’ve come over in free agency. It’s not that they come over here just because they got kicked out. That’s a lie. The truth is they were free agents and they wanted to shop their (worth) and we offered them a better deal so they came over here. These guys are prizefighters. This is not something they do just for fun. These are athletes of the highest level and they are prizefighters. If can come here and you’re going to get a better deal, why wouldn’t you come to Bellator? If you have a better deal there, then stay there and do your thing. As far as being kicked out of certain organizations, that’s a lie.”
Vill inte hamna i konflikt med White
Coker berättar senare att han inte vill hamna i konflikt med White och anser att dom båda gör sin grej.
“Look, he’s doing his thing and we’re doing our thing, It is what it is and you know how he is. We’re going to continue down the path and keep doing our thing and at least he didn’t say I was ugly.”
Coker berättar vidare att Bellator fortsätter att växa sig starka. Bellator har bland annat flyttat till CBS Sports Network.
“This organization is growing and this organization has resources, You can see with the move to CBS Sports Network and there will be other opportunities for us inside the family of platforms here at this company. To me, we’re going to make the right decisions and keep growing the brand with fighters. We’re a very good star identifier and I think we’re the best at identifying new stars and building new stars and that’s what we’re going to continue to do. Every day when I wake up, we’re not thinking about those guys. We’re thinking about what we’re doing and focused how we want to grow this product.”
