News Ariel Helwani on Bellator: There are whispers that, I'll just say, that they're on the market
- Thread starter TorontoTO
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Please dont let the UFC buy them..
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If PFL combines with Bellator that will make for one hell of a fighting promotion. But yeah, if UFC buys Bellator, not good for the sport.
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Hopefully if somebody else gets it, they remove Coker and put somebody competent
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Coker is fine as a talent guy and behind the scenes, he is just not cut out to lead a promotion
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UFC wouldnt buy them.
SF/PRide were bought to kill competition and then get library and contracts but they are so far ahead now they dont care.
Not to mention WME aint spending money on that and gov probably would allowed it.
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UFC buying Bellator would completely destroy monopolize the market, hence why I think they wouldn't do it since they are already involved in a lawsuit for that
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They could argue they only bought the video library, that's all Bellator has
If allthe UFC is doing is gutting already dead companies like Strikeforce and PRIDE is that really a monopoly? or more like a form of corporate necrophilia ? They aren't killing the competition when its dead in the water...
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Bellator has much more than a fight library. They have a better roster than Strikeforce and Strikeforce completed injected new life into what was becoming a stale product for the UFC. Bellator would do the same.
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Whoaaa there, let’s not get crazy, Bellator does not have a better roster than Strikeforce.
But I agree they’re a lot more valuable than just a fight library.
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They certainly do. It’s not close. Heavyweights go to Strikeforce. But everything else is all Bellator. Strikeforce had Cyborg Santos and Zaromskis fighting for belts.
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Doubt the government cares, but I agree with the rest.
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The rumors have been around since I've been on Sherdog. But I'd expect them to be true at this point. Present ownership seems very conflicted over what to do with Bellator.
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Yup, many Strikeforce fighters went on to become contenders, champions, and/or superstars but most werent big names while they were on Strikeforce. Look at any regular Strikeforce card and they werent all that but nostalgia is a motherfucker.
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I think they’re doing just fine. Smelwani has an agenda to push. He wants PFL and ONE to be 2 & 3 in the mma landscape. Bellator just had their most successful year ever internationally, just landed a CBS card and Viacom wants to sell now? They sold out shows in Paris, Dublin, the Tokyo card with Rizin. Why would Viacom sell now? And then the narrative that PFL is on “fire”? Like where did this come from? He’s just making up shit. He’s anti-Bellator that’s why whenever a fighter goes on there he always asks when their contract is up and if they’re gonna explore the market. He’s a snake. I’d ignore the guy. He offers nothing to the mma world anymore. Hate to side with Dana but the guy is irrelevant.
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As opposed to what? Having Emmanuel Newton or Maiquel Falcao or Karl Amoussou fighting for (or actually winning) belts?? Dude…
Nick Diaz
Daniel Cormier
Dan Henderson
Gegard Mousasi
Luke Rockhold
Jacare
Gil Melendez
Jake Shields
Robbie Lawler
Tyron Woodley
Jorge Masvidal
Shinya Aoki
Josh Thomson
Yoel Romero
Tim Kennedy
Cung Le
Babalu
Frank Sharmrock
Nate Marquardt
King Mo
Tarec Saffeideine
Kawajiri
KJ Noons
Bang Ludwig
That’s just off the top of my head. Oh, and WMMA?
Ronda
Nunes
Miesha
Cyborg
Carano
Kaufman
Marloes Coenen
Liz Carmouche
Julia Budd
Alexis Davis
Germaine De Randamie
That’s without even mentioning heavyweight, which of course had Fedor, Reem. DC, Werdum, Barnett, Bigfoot, and so on.
You’re right that it’s not close.
Strikeforce > Bellator, easily.
What?? Jacare is Jacare, it doesn’t matter now big of a star he was. Rockhold is Rockhold. Bellator doesn’t have shit for big stars either. The fact that tons of Strikeforce fighters went on to be contenders and champs in the UFC speaks to exactly what I’m saying. Their roster was better.
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Bellator has a much better roster top to bottom. It’s easy to list those guys once they went to UFC and created a name. But Bellator has more guys that would go over and create a name if they merged today. Sorry man. Strikeforce couldn’t form a top 10 in any division that wasn’t HW.
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The thing with the roster is that they don't need to buy out any contracts, all the good fighters will just come to the UFC anyway if Bellator folds, maybe a couple of fighters will decline but it wouldn't make any difference
the fight library is what has to actually be purchased, the fighters contracts themselves are irrelevant
