Bellator Might Appear on CBS in the future

[careto]

It’s inevitable at this point. If they continue the way they’re doing things, Bellator will continue to grow. Tonight was a big night for them. October is a massive month for them and UFC doesn’t really have anything that does +1m PPV buys so far for the rest of the year. Things could get interesting.

I’m shocked to see a video like this. Bellator being covered like a legitimate sports organization on CBS. Incredible really. Could never see this coming back in the Spike days.

You know the real night of MMA is tonight with Combate's one night tournament. Campbell will take Combate to CBS first.

 

[CorninginChristianburg]

Oezdemir is a Bellator reject but now that he's in the UFC he's great LMAO
Spann is 5-1 in the UFC and yet he couldn't beat Leite who is 0-2 in Bellator.

People are always overrating UFC fighters, stop doing that man

He had 2 fights in Bellator early in his career. I don't mind your antics but let's don't play. You and I both know that Mads Burnell was on the card yesterday and hearsay seems to have it that he'll be at top 3, top 4 divisional Featherweight soon. I'm all for acknowledging fighter growth and just moving on rather than being childish and calling every other fighter a "so and so reject." But I also know all of the examples on both sides and I can quote them to you so if you want to play that game I can do that as well.

 

[careto]

It’s inevitable at this point. If they continue the way they’re doing things, Bellator will continue to grow. Tonight was a big night for them. October is a massive month for them and UFC doesn’t really have anything that does +1m PPV buys so far for the rest of the year. Things could get interesting.

I’m shocked to see a video like this. Bellator being covered like a legitimate sports organization on CBS. Incredible really. Could never see this coming back in the Spike days.

I cant remember a bigger night for Bellator, all the buzz and media attention was and stil is on their main event. It is still going on right now, AJ is the talk of all MMA circles. It is if the UFC FN had happened on a different day. This was the fight to make on CBS, I cant think of another fight that will get this much buzz and would do better in CBS, not even the semifinals of the LHWGP.

Its a bit refreshing to see the MMA talk not being centered around the UFC for once.

 

[CorninginChristianburg]

I cant remember a bigger night for Bellator, all the buzz and media attention was and stil is on their main event. It is still going on right now, AJ is the talk of all MMA circles. It is if the UFC FN had happened on a different day. This was the fight to make on CBS, I cant think of another fight that will get this much buzz and would do better in CBS, not even the semifinals of the LHWGP.

Its a bit refreshing to see the MMA talk not being centered around the UFC for once.

Even bloody elbow twitter did live tracking for both cards fwiw.

 

[JustOnce]

Actually getting on a cable tv network again would help. I’m sure half the casuals have no idea how to watch Bellator now.

They put their thing LIVE on Youtube.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

I was contemplating this when I wrote my post. If there was any division it would be the LHW division for sure. Dana has done an absolute garbage job scouting for this division. The narrative of the "resurgence of Glover" is such a joke. It's almost a test of how gullible UFC fans can be. Glover has not actually resurged, he's simply beating fighters that weren't particularly good to begin with in a division that hasn't been particularly good for a while because all the fighters who have beat him or could beat him were shooed out of the division. Cory went to Bellator, Rumble went to Bellator, Phil Davis went to Bellator, Jones went/is going to HW, and all of them are younger than Glover. All of them beat Glover, and all of them were shooed out of the division and now Glover is the only one left so he's the best by default. I'm not against the idea that fighters can improve over time but you're trying to convince me that Glover improved between 38 and 41 you just don't believe in biology.

At the top of the divisions, say top 4, I think the only argument for the UFC is that it's kinda implicitly understood, or hell maybe even just wished for by people like myself, that Glover is worse than Jan, Jiri, Rakic and Ankalaev. That he will lose those fights and fall off soon and his true colors will show. If he manages to beat them then...I mean no question bellator's division is better...But can we presume they will be better? Maybe not even, so Bellator may have the edge in 1-4.

In that 5-10 range I think the UFC definitely has the edge. The UFC has a lot of depth guys like Reyes, Smith, Santos, Oezdemir, Krylov, Walker, Spann, guys who I think are demonstrably going nowhere but are also extremely good fighters, I think indisputably better than a 43 year old Machida, 45 year old Manhoef, and also raw and inexperienced guys like Grant Neal or Christian Edwards. So the UFC definitely has the edge out from 15, maybe even to 15.

But honestly the most depressing thing is that there is really no one coming up the pipe in the UFC. I think Dana was putting his hopes in Jamahal Hill, Kennedy Nzechukwu, Jimmy Crute. But I don't know, did anyone think that they were elite prospects? They don't have strong bases. They're little bit of everything fighters. Which is what Dana wants but in my opinion it's just a recipe for building more Ryan Spanns and Anthony Smiths. Bellator knows what it wants with its fighters, it targets demographics and develops its fighters. So where it's hard to point to who is coming up in the pipe for the UFC, for bellator it's a bit easier.

They do have Jailton Junior, Nasrudin Nasrudinov and Anton Turkalj on the contender series this year, all interesting LHW prospects.

 

[SokoudjouFanboy]

He had 2 fights in Bellator early in his career. I don't mind your antics but let's don't play. You and I both know that Mads Burnell was on the card yesterday and hearsay seems to have it that he'll be at top 3, top 4 divisional Featherweight soon. I'm all for acknowledging fighter growth and just moving on rather than being childish and calling every other fighter a "so and so reject." But I also know all of the examples on both sides and I can quote them to you so if you want to play that game I can do that as well.

I prefer this mentality too. I think guys like TehMoose hurt Bellator in the eyes of some people because he's totally unobjective. The reality is there are legitimate points about in aggregate Bellator fighters being underrated and UFC overrated but this idea that Bellator truly has better talent top to bottom is a major stretch. Like you said, there are lots of examples both ways. That being said the UFC has been around for twice as long, has bought out multiple competitors and have all the money/cache in the world. Of course the Bellator does a very good job building a roster from behind the 8 ball, and is way more worth watching then the UFC marks would tell you but it just can't compete with UFC at scale.

As far as the OP is concerned I hope so. Getting on big CBS would be a good step and this card was a big win. I'd love to see Viacom throw some more money into this property seeing now that with the UFC diluting it's product and WME in financial trouble. They're in a vulnerable state despite being such a giant in the space. Throw around big money to get any big name free agent that comes up, get on big CBS and you may have a viable competitor. Not saying I think it's likely, but you never know.

 

[MitsuyoshiOhara]

Pitbull x McKee II for the LW title
Rumble x Romero
Page x Raymond Daniels
Pico x Tokoro

 

[Hellowhosthat]

It’s inevitable at this point. If they continue the way they’re doing things, Bellator will continue to grow. Tonight was a big night for them. October is a massive month for them and UFC doesn’t really have anything that does +1m PPV buys so far for the rest of the year. Things could get interesting.

I’m shocked to see a video like this. Bellator being covered like a legitimate sports organization on CBS. Incredible really. Could never see this coming back in the Spike days.

Lol please don't tell me you're staying to think they'll challenge the UFC, that's not going to happen. When promotions try and do that is when they overstretch themselves and fuck up. Number two is fine.

 

[careto]

Lol please don't tell me you're staying to think they'll challenge the UFC, that's not going to happen. When promotions try and do that is when they overstretch themselves and fuck up. Number two is fine.

Combate is #2, though.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Combate is #2, though.

Sorry forgot about them and ONE.

 

[careto]

Lol please don't tell me you're staying to think they'll challenge the UFC, that's not going to happen. When promotions try and do that is when they overstretch themselves and fuck up. Number two is fine.

They wont challenge but will be a way more established #2. Maybe even start competing for more solid talent. CBS cards should be the equivalent of a UFC PPV, and I think Bellator has enough to have 2-3 big CBS cards a year.

 

[traitmanz]

Yup could see the 3 big events a year on CBS. Didn't Coppinger say earlier this year PBC was looking for a exclusive Showtime/CBS deal for next year? Would be sweet

 

[careto]

I was contemplating this when I wrote my post. If there was any division it would be the LHW division for sure. Dana has done an absolute garbage job scouting for this division. The narrative of the "resurgence of Glover" is such a joke. It's almost a test of how gullible UFC fans can be. Glover has not actually resurged, he's simply beating fighters that weren't particularly good to begin with in a division that hasn't been particularly good for a while because all the fighters who have beat him or could beat him were shooed out of the division. Cory went to Bellator, Rumble went to Bellator, Phil Davis went to Bellator, Jones went/is going to HW, and all of them are younger than Glover. All of them beat Glover, and all of them were shooed out of the division and now Glover is the only one left so he's the best by default. I'm not against the idea that fighters can improve over time but you're trying to convince me that Glover improved between 38 and 41 you just don't believe in biology.

At the top of the divisions, say top 4, I think the only argument for the UFC is that it's kinda implicitly understood, or hell maybe even just wished for by people like myself, that Glover is worse than Jan, Jiri, Rakic and Ankalaev. That he will lose those fights and fall off soon and his true colors will show. If he manages to beat them then...I mean no question bellator's division is better...But can we presume they will be better? Maybe not even, so Bellator may have the edge in 1-4.

In that 5-10 range I think the UFC definitely has the edge. The UFC has a lot of depth guys like Reyes, Smith, Santos, Oezdemir, Krylov, Walker, Spann, guys who I think are demonstrably going nowhere but are also extremely good fighters, I think indisputably better than a 43 year old Machida, 45 year old Manhoef, and also raw and inexperienced guys like Grant Neal or Christian Edwards. So the UFC definitely has the edge out from 15, maybe even to 15.

But honestly the most depressing thing is that there is really no one coming up the pipe in the UFC. I think Dana was putting his hopes in Jamahal Hill, Kennedy Nzechukwu, Jimmy Crute. But I don't know, did anyone think that they were elite prospects? They don't have strong bases. They're little bit of everything fighters. Which is what Dana wants but in my opinion it's just a recipe for building more Ryan Spanns and Anthony Smiths. Bellator knows what it wants with its fighters, it targets demographics and develops its fighters. So where it's hard to point to who is coming up in the pipe for the UFC, for bellator it's a bit easier.

Yeah, I agree. It might not be clear cut due to depth but the top 5 is clear for Bellator, IMO.

 

[Bubba32]

the plan is for bellator to be absorbed by combate and to have combate air on cbs.

 

[snugglecakes]

Yes because like I said. For the UFC's LHW vs Bellator's LHW you can make an argument for 1-4. You cannot make an argument for 5-10. At that point you'd be between Reyes, Smith, Oezdemir, Walker, Spann, Krylov. Those fighters have limited ceilings but they are unquestionably better than 43 yo Lyoto Machida, 45 yo Melvin Manhoef, or Grant Neal, or Christian Edwards, who are both too green. And the same can be replicated to each division.

Take the featherweight division that was on display yesterday. Set aside what you think about AJ McKee and Patricio Pitbull against the UFC's top fighters. Behind the top four, the UFC has Korean Zombie, Calvin Kattar, Arnold Allen, Josh Emmett, Dan Ige, Edson Barboza. Contrast that with Jay Jay Wilson, Aaron Pico, Daniel Weichel, Pedro Carvalho, and I guess Emmanuel Sanchez since Mads Burnell beat him yesterday so it would be Sanchez in the field and Burnell in the top 3. When you break up the UFC and Bellator's FW divisions into the top 3 and the field, the UFC's field is more experienced, it's more experienced within the promotion, it has a better record, it's faced tougher strength of schedule, if you know the fighters it is simply better. There's often a perceptual gap between the top fighters in a division and the field, fans will say...tbh silly things, like "the champ is a stud but everyone else is totally a can" There are gradients to skill, skill doesn't exist on a stud/can binary. And then when the champ loses he's now a can because he lost to a can. The LW division was and is still pretty deep in the UFC. Calling them "sloppy brawlers" in a dismissive fashion doesn't actually make them comparable to the field in Bellator, where the #1 contender is literally the 10 loss Pitbull brother. Even if you're dismissive of Dustin Poirier or Justin Gaethje as dismissive brawlers, Patricky and Peter Queally are that but just significantly worse at it.

That is a little bit subjective tho to say u godda base it all off the drop off between each guy as you go down the ranking line. If you choose to go by absolutely nothing by which champ would beat which champ you are within you’re right to. N you wouldn’t be right or wrong. What if I thought sharkfights has the best division. Who’s to say I am wrong? They don’t even know what my judging criteria is. What if I think sharkfights is better only because less skill = more violence and more skill = cancel each other out snooze fest judges decisions. Don’t jump to conclusions on what somebody else’s judging criteria is. I am more “entertained” by the Bellator LHW division than UFC’s lhw… thus I think Bellator a is better.

If I choose to say I think sharkfights has a better light heavyweight division than the ufc has Just because I think their champ would beat the ufc champ but I agree sharkfights rank 2 would lose to ufc rank 20.. whos to say I am wrong? It’s just as much of an opion and a non fact as everything you said. What makes your opinion on that more of an authority than mine?

Let’s say skill was your judging criteria tho…who’s to say say having better contenders outweighed having a better champ? Winning The championship is all that matters to some fighters so let’s say Bellator has a better champ than the ufc in a division but the rank 2 guy in that Bellator division would lose to ufc rank 50… winning that Bellator belt is still technically harder than winning that ufc belt cause all that matters is the Bellator champ is a harder fight. Wouldn’t the division that’s has the more difficult to win belt technically be the overall better division to a fighter with real ambition? Becoming the belt is the end goal. Bellator has multiple belts that are harder to win than UFC’s at the moment. Thus they are better than UFC’s.

there is no magic sign that says the better division is determined by which side would have more guys standing after they had a TUF style team vs team tournament. In my opinion it’s a simple question. Which championship is the harder one to win? The harder to win belt = superior skilled Division. Whoever has more depth in their rank 5ish n up is kinda irrelevant when you’re standing across the cage from the champ n going for the real prize

 

[careto]

That is a little bit subjective tho to say u godda base it all off the drop off between each guy as you go down the ranking line. If you choose to go by absolutely nothing by which champ would beat which champ you are within you’re right to. N you wouldn’t be right or wrong. What if I thought sharkfights has the best division. Who’s to say I am wrong? They don’t even know what my judging criteria is. What if I think sharkfights is better only because less skill = more violence and more skill = cancel each other out snooze fest judges decisions. Don’t jump to conclusions on what somebody else’s judging criteria is. I am more “entertained” by the Bellator LHW division than UFC’s lhw… thus I think Bellator a is better.

If I choose to say I think sharkfights has a better light heavyweight division than the ufc has Just because I think their champ would beat the ufc champ but I agree sharkfights rank 2 would lose to ufc rank 20.. whos to say I am wrong? It’s just as much of an opion and a non fact as everything you said. What makes your opinion on that more of an authority than mine?

Let’s say skill was your judging criteria tho…who’s to say say having better contenders outweighed having a better champ? Winning The championship is all that matters to some fighters so let’s say Bellator has a better champ than the ufc in a division but the rank 2 guy in that Bellator division would lose to ufc rank 50… winning that Bellator belt is still technically harder than winning that ufc belt cause all that matters is the Bellator champ is a harder fight. Wouldn’t the division that’s has the more difficult to win belt technically be the overall better division to a fighter with real ambition? Becoming the belt is the end goal. Bellator has multiple belts that are harder to win than UFC’s at the moment. Thus they are better than UFC’s.

there is no magic sign that says the better division is determined by which side would have more guys standing after they had a TUF style team vs team tournament. In my opinion it’s a simple question. Which championship is the harder one to win? The harder to win belt = superior skilled Division. Whoever has more depth in their rank 5ish n up is kinda irrelevant when you’re standing across the cage from the champ n going for the real prize

Well, in your opinion, is it harder to beat Yoel Romero, Corey Anderson, Ryan Bader, Phil Davis, Rumble Johnson, and Nemkov or Dominick Reyes, Thiago Santos, Aleksander Rakic, Jiri Prochazka, Glover Teixeira, and Jan Blachowics? It is pretty even to me but I would lean Bellator IMO.

 

[GueseGuy]

Lol please don't tell me you're staying to think they'll challenge the UFC, that's not going to happen. When promotions try and do that is when they overstretch themselves and fuck up. Number two is fine.

Well I wouldn’t say “challenge” UFC but my point is more that there is no buy out option for the UFC this time. Every time a promotion has gotten momentum in mma history the UFC has swooped to buy them out. Bellator is probably the best and most established mma promotion of all time that isn’t UFC. They are only getting better and CBS will be a major move for them.

 

[AGEZ909]

Seems like a smart approach. As it stands, bellator on showtime is pretty limited.

they need 3-4 fights on big CBS to capture casual attention and try to establish a pipeline to paid sub services like showtime.

AJ winning the way he did is a godsend for bellator (coming from a major pitbull fan)

Have the AJs of bellator fight once on CBS and another time on showtime per year. create the incentive to hop over.

 

[CC27]

Lol please don't tell me you're staying to think they'll challenge the UFC, that's not going to happen. When promotions try and do that is when they overstretch themselves and fuck up. Number two is fine.

He's shocked to see a network thats under Viacom which owns Bellator is covering them. Who could have ever seen that coming.

But this is same dude who said Ariel signing with Showtime would be a game changer.

Careto is the only one of the Bellator posters who has any common sense, the rest of them just spew nonsense.