Scott Coker News

Tom Taylor - September 4, 2019

Former Strikeforce, Invicta and UFC champ Cris Cyborg is now a Bellator MMA fighter. The Brazilian legend signed with the Scott Coker helmed promotion this week. Cyborg and Coker have a longstanding professional relationship, as Coker was the president of Cyborg’s former home in Strikeforce. As the pair begin the next chapter of their professional relationship, Coker is vowing to handle Cyborg’s career properly — which he believes the UFC failed to do.

Tom Taylor - August 23, 2019

After a lengthy career in the UFC, Cat Zingano is now a free agent. The former title challenger parted ways with the Las Vegas based promotion earlier this month. From the sounds of it, she could soon have a new home in Bellator MMA.

Natasha Hooper - August 23, 2019

The president of Bellator, Scott Coker, is making his loyalty to Cyborg known, as he claims she is the female GOAT. The former UFC featherweight champion, Cris Cyborg, is currently a free agent after being released from her UFC contract. Her last fight was a win against formerly undefeated fighter Felicia Spencer (7-1) at UFC 240. Her contract release signalled rising tensions between her and Dana White.

Cole Shelton - August 22, 2019

Bellator president, Scott Coker took a lot of flak for his recent tweet suggesting Ryan Bader is the best heavyweight in MMA right now. Most fans and analysts believe Stipe Miocic, who reclaimed the UFC’s heavyweight belt this past weekend in Anaheim, to be the current ‘baddest man on the planet’.

Natasha Hooper - August 2, 2019

Bellator MMA plans to develop new markets across the pond and believe Conor McGregor’s trainer, John Kavanagh will be instrumental in achieving this. The company’s CEO,Scott Coker joined the Viacom-owned business in 2014 and has been pushing hard to develop the brand. Part of his plan has been to capitalize in areas where he believes the UFC is flagging. Bellator wants to cultivate international talent and emerging markets that are currently neglected. Coker intends on investing in the MMA market in UK and Ireland as he believes this is a “business opportunity that UFC is not taking advantage of.”

Adam D Martin - July 28, 2019

Although UFC president Dana White was not complimentary towards Cris Cyborg for her victory over Felicia Spencer on Saturday night at UFC 240, Bellator president Scott Coker had nothing but positive things to say about her performance. The former bossman of Strikeforce, where Cyborg starred from 2009 to 2011, sent out a congratulatory tweet on Saturday night to his friend for her unanimous decision win over Spencer.

Fernando Quiles - July 18, 2019

Bellator president Scott Coker appears to be taking things slow with Aaron Pico. While Pico has been hailed as one of the greatest prospects in MMA, he was thrown to the wolves rather quickly. At the age of 22, Pico has a record of 4-3 and he’s been stopped in all of his losses. In his last two outings, Pico was brutally knocked out by Henry Corrales and Adam Borics.

Natasha Hooper - June 20, 2019

The Bellator 223 press conference held today at Leicester Square in London answered many questions about the future of the promotion, particularly in the European market. Scott Coker, the CEO of Bellator and a veteran fight promoter, made his thoughts very clear. During the conference, he discussed the expansion of the promotion on the continent next year:

Tom Taylor - June 13, 2019

Former UFC featherweight champion Cris Cyborg recently stated that she plans to test her value as a free agent once her current UFC contract expires. That contract will conclude after her featherweight showdown with Felicia Spencer a UFC 240 in Edmonton in July. If Cyborg does indeed become a free agent, it sounds like she can expect a meeting with Bellator boss Scott Coker. “Listen, if you are a free agent, give us a call. This is a Viacom-backed company and we will take care of the fighters that move the needle for us,” Coker explained during a recent media scrum (transcript via MMA Mania). “So, if she is free one day, please give us a call.”

Drake Riggs - April 26, 2019

She’s back. After 21 months out of action, ‘The Peacemaker’ Leslie Smith will be returning to action as she has signed with Bellator MMA.

Drake Riggs - April 26, 2019

Without a doubt, Russia’s ‘Last Emperor,’ Fedor Emelianenko is one of the greatest mixed martial artists to ever grace the face of the Earth. But despite his incredible success throughout his career and late resurgence through the Bellator heavyweight Grand Prix, it all ended abruptly in January. At Bellator 214, the vacant title was on the line in the tournament’s finals. Standing in Emelianenko’s way on his path to becoming a champion for the first time in 10 years was the current light heavyweight champion of Bellator, Ryan Bader. In the end, 35 seconds was all it took for Bader to sleep the icon with a stiff left hand followed by some on the ground.

Drake Riggs - April 26, 2019

At RIZIN 14 on New Year’s Eve 2018, we saw a massive inaugural title fight that saw two promotions best bantamweight fighters go head to head. Of course, on one side of the ring, there was the Japanese superstar, RIZIN’s Kyoji Horiguchi. On the other side, it was Bellator bantamweight champion, Darrion ‘The Wolf’ Caldwell who fought for the first time out of the United States.

Drake Riggs - February 1, 2019

The partnership between RIZIN and Bellator continues to be a fruitful one as RIZIN 15 will provide us with yet another cross-promotional title bout. The two promotions have already had fighters fight between each other in the past, but it wasn’t until RIZIN 14 when things got very interesting.

Tom Taylor - January 27, 2019

Ryan Bader now owns the Bellator light heavyweight heavyweight titles. He earned the former with a defeat of Phil Davis last year, and the latter with a Saturday night, Bellator 214 knockout of Fedor Emelianenko. With two belts now wrapped round his waist, Ryan Bader has the option of ruling over two divisions if he so chooses. Drifting back and forth between two weight classes, of course, will not be easy.

Tom Taylor - January 25, 2019

Ahead of UFC 232, several Jon Jones drug tests detected trace amounts of the banned substance turinabol, which prompted the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) to deny the light heavyweight legend a license. This forced the UFC to move the entire UFC 232 card to Los Angeles, California, as the more lenient California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) was willing to license Jones. Since then, a Voluntary Anti Doping Agency (VADA) test administered on the night of the UFC 232 weigh-ins has once again detected the same banned substance in the system of Jon Jones. Despite this new information, however, the CSAC will not be punishing Jones, maintaining that the anomalies on his test results are due to his previous ingestion of a banned substance — for which he’s already been punished.

Chris Taylor - January 19, 2019

Add Bellator boss Scott Coker to the growing list of individuals who are not impressed by the new UFC title belts. The Ultimate Fighting Champion unveiled their new “Legacy Belts” yesterday afternoon in Brooklyn, which spawned a ton of reactions on social media.

Tom Taylor - December 12, 2018

On February 16, at Bellator 216, Bellator will promote one of the biggest fights in UK MMA history, as British knockout artists Paul Daley and Michael Page finally collide in a long-awaited grudge match. Unfortunately, this massive fight will not occur in the UK. Instead, it will go down at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Speaking to MMAjunkie ahead of Bellator’s double-header in Hawaii this weekend, Bellator President Scott Coker explained why this fight isn’t happening on British soil.

Drake Riggs - December 3, 2018

Capping off 2018’s MMA calendar will be RIZIN 14 on New Year’s Eve. With the full lineup now revealed, there is plenty to look forward to. Among the announced bouts, for most, the most anticipated will be the fantasy bout that will be fought over the inaugural RIZIN bantamweight title. That fight will feature none other than the current Bellator 135-pound champion, Darrion ‘The Wolf’ Caldwell as he goes to Japan to challenge one of their biggest stars in Kyoji Horiguchi.