Bellator Gaining Ground?

[FrankieNYC]

All Bellator can do, is keep building prospects and survive. TV success isn't an option for them in 2019. They have to do everything they can, and I think they are, to add content to DAZN and hope that it really takes off. That will make them the primary MMA league on the primary combat sports streaming service in the world (if it works out in practice).

Every country has a different DAZN
In some areas UFC is on DAZN

The DAZN deal of $33m per (that might be revised upwards according to an email I received) is stateside only

 

[skylolow]

No. Not gaining ground at all. Jones is probably a bigger star now than he was before all of this. All Bellator can do, is keep building prospects and survive. TV success isn't an option for them in 2019. They have to do everything they can, and I think they are, to add content to DAZN and hope that it really takes off. That will make them the primary MMA league on the primary combat sports streaming service in the world (if it works out in practice). They also need to do what Strikeforce did and make you wonder if one or two of their divisions could mess with the UFC equivalent. HW will generally be wide open for anyone to make a move. If Minakov comes back in dominant fashion, then they can argue that point. They need a few prospects to show up as well. Ed Ruth can still be a great fighter. Now we know that Gracie is legit, and so we have two top prospects for the price of one. Pico and McKee are as good of prospects at 145 as anyone anywhere. Sadly they will never fight each other, but I think that Bellator can make some real money off of them both. Their WMMA divisions have some potential to move the need as well, at least in terms of live attendance in the right markets.

The short version is no. They aren't gaining meaningful ground in the sport, and I don't see them doing anything in 2019 to change that a great deal either. They need to survive and continue working on developing their prospects and champion brands. I like a lot of what Coker does, but this was always an insane longshot to succeed.

I think it really comes down to what are fans expectations for Bellator or the 2nd biggest MMA org in the world.

In the modern MMA world(post Pride sale) we have yet to have a true number 2 org that was on strong financial ground and could actually compete with the UFC on some fighters for contracts over an extended time period. Bellator has just kind of entered that area recently with the DAZN deal and if Bellator sells they may even become stronger from a finical backing. That is all fans should really expect out of a number 2 org. No one is overtaking the UFC without the UFC crumbling from within and if that happens that isn't good for MMA on any level. Fans and fighters should just want a second org that is financial stable long term and not look at it from a competing stand point because that is like your local state/regional brewery going against Anheuser Busch Inbev or SAB Miller. We'll always be disappointed in it from a competition stand point but it doesn't mean they can't do great things for the sport.

 

[FrankieNYC]

I think it really comes down to what are fans expectations for Bellator or the 2nd biggest MMA org in the world.

In the modern MMA world(post Pride sale) we have yet to have a true number 2 org that was on strong financial ground and could actually compete with the UFC on some fighters for contracts over an extended time period. Bellator has just kind of entered that area recently with the DAZN deal and if Bellator sells they may even become stronger from a finical backing. That is all fans should really expect out of a number 2 org. No one is overtaking the UFC without the UFC crumbling from within and if that happens that isn't good for MMA on any level. Fans and fighters should just want a second org that is financial stable long term and not look at it from a competing stand point because that is like your local state/regional brewery going against Anheuser Busch Inbev or SAB Miller. We'll always be disappointed in it from a competition stand point but it doesn't mean they can't do great things for the sport.

You are killing it today man
Spot on

 

[leto1776]

Because I'm in London where no channel shows them?

Yeah, did you even read my post? Seriously.