Is Coker's reputation in the dumpster?

[egk]

Scott Coker had a pretty good mma reputation as a promotoer after Strikeforce. Many people (me included) used to sigh and think how much better would the UFC be if they had a guy like Coker in place of the ridiculous Dana White. I think it's safe to say no one will be asking that question any longer after Bellator 149.

Can Coker recover from this or will be now be forever known as Mr Freak-show fights?

 

[Quantum Leap]

I get what he's doing and don't oppose 'freak shows', he want to get eyes on the product but yeah last nights card was ugh rough. Gotta find some balance.

 

[MRDOG]

It is hard to compare what he could have done at UFC with what he can do with Bellator. UFC has most the top fighters. Bellator has picked up some like Benson but they are limited. He is putting on fights that he thinks will bring the most attention and get the most ratings.

 

[Headkicktoleg]

I think this combined with the reports that he didn't go after Overeem or Sterling show what he's really about.

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

it was a fantastic night for him, I promise you this show will do bigger viewing numbers than the awful UFC Fight Night card tomorrow. he is delivering perfectly for Spike.

 

[egk]

I think this combined with the reports that he didn't go after Overeem or Sterling show what he's really about.

Oh, that's a good point. I forgot about that. If true, it's a good question whether he even cares about making Bellator a product to rival the UFC. It's a shame too because Bellator does have some good fighters on it's roster. Those guys should be the ones being promoted, not the Kimbos of the world.

 

[NHB7]

Oh, that's a good point. I forgot about that. If true, it's a good question whether he even cares about making Bellator a product to rival the UFC. It's a shame too because Bellator does have some good fighters on it's roster. Those guys should be the ones being promoted, not the Kimbos of the world.

He doesn't promote Kimbo. The Kimbo product promotes itself. And we all tune in.

 

[lsa]

He doesn't promote Kimbo. The Kimbo product promotes itself. And we all tune in.

so there where no promotion for this fight by Bellator?

 

[BeardotheWeirdo]

Scott Coker had a pretty good mma reputation as a promotoer after Strikeforce. Many people (me included) used to sigh and think how much better would the UFC be if they had a guy like Coker in place of the ridiculous Dana White. I think it's safe to say no one will be asking that question any longer after Bellator 149.

Can Coker recover from this or will be now be forever known as Mr Freak-show fights?

Strikeforce bought EliteXC, when Coker was running the show. They let Kimbo walk, they didn't need him for the ratings... Bellator however does need Kimbo for the ratings he brings.

When there were better options available Coker ignored Kimbo... and Kimbo went to the UFC who didn't need him at all, but still decided to promote him. UFC went so far out of their way to make Kimbo happy that they put him on TUF and didn't make him stay in the TUF house with all the legit fighters. They gave Kimbo what he wanted.... Other TUF fighters had to miss deaths in the family to prove their dedication to the UFC. Not Kimbo, he just had to show up on fight night.

Double standard much?

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

He doesn't promote Kimbo. The Kimbo product promotes itself. And we all tune in.

Spike aired a half hour feature about "the real Kimbo Slice" directly prior to the card. That isn't not promoting Kimbo.

 

[chubbman]

Coker is making lemonade with the shitty lemons he has.

Kimbo draws because he has the attention of people outside of mma.

Bendo or Thompson for example only draw mma fans, and unfortunately most mma fans only watch teh UFC.

So I can't really blame Coker for trying to get as many eyes on bellator as possible, even if it is with freakshow fights.

 

[Xuh]

Bellator just increased its profile a hundredfold. That's an achievement. There has never been this much discussion of a Bellator card - on forums, and also many highest profile MMA personalities on twitter watched it (sure they're trashing it - but ALL of them tuned in!). Meanwhile they're signing guys like Benson and trying to compete for other big names - with increasing success - to tick the 'legit mma fights' box too. If they can pull it of, it will work great. The opinion of chattering interweb Zuffa zombies who due to years of monopoly have come to believe that the style of MMA the UFC puts out is the only legit style of MMA, does not matter.

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

I think this combined with the reports that he didn't go after Overeem or Sterling show what he's really about.

I think this criticism is a little unfair. Bellator just doesn't have the budget to compete for top free agents. Coker seems to be following the strategy of signing over the hill UFC fighters that have name recognition. Their notoriety is attractive but the downside is the obvious deterioration in their fighting skills. He's also signed some ostensibly boring UFC fighters like Phil Davis. I think this works better, because against lesser competition guys like Davis shine. I'm guessing the same will be true of Benson.

One thing Bellator seems to be doing less successfully, though I may be wrong, is developing their own talent and their own names. For all the flak he took, I think Rebney and his tournaments was accomplishing that fairly well.

On the whole, it's really hard for me to say that Bellator is putting on a better show under Coker than they did under Rebney. They went from having Askren or Warren as their face to having Kimbo and Ken Shamrock.

 

[209Homie]

No....

Scott Coker is a legend.


I think he knows they missed an opportunity, even though i'm sure they got great ratings (He sounded somewhat disappointed in the post fight conference & in the interview Luke Thomas gave)

Tonight's show left a bad taste in some people's mouth's (especially the last fight with all the drama)... Had the main and co-main event gone down like some of the other fights he has put on (Tito v. Bonnar/ even Kimbo v. Shamrock) he would have built alot of momentum (as this event had more people from the mainstream buzzing about a bellator event, I Mean the great 1 aka the rock was even tweeting about this event).

It sucks that the fights played out the way that they did (although the Dada 5000 fight was humorous... until they released the news that his heart had stopped after the fight).... I mean who in the hell would have predicted a grappling match between Kimbo and Dada 5000?

Anyways, I bet a good majority of the people (including Joe Rogan) who are saying that this Kimbo vs. Dada was the worst fight they have ever watched...

Will watch bellator again...Because Coker & Spike do a good job of sucking in all the people who love to complain and love to secretly view these circus fights (as it is filling in the void that pride left) .

 

[qw3rty]

I get what he's doing and don't oppose 'freak shows', he want to get eyes on the product but yeah last nights card was ugh rough. Gotta find some balance.

I agree, he should put ONE freakshow with ONE serious title fight to have a semi decent card

 

[EndlessCritic]

Coker's reputation went in the dumpster when he gave Brett Rogers a title fight after losing to Fedor.

 

[Thesnake101]

Right now, his reputation is as good as Dada/Kimbo.