Is it Possible?--Bellator & WSOF to put on a Co-promoted Event

[CoffeeAndBeer]

Is it even possible for Bellator and World Series of Fighting to co-promote an event, based on the TV affiliations that these to Orgs have in place...?

***EDIT/UPDATE (Jan 6, 2014): WSOF just tweeted a proposed Bellator vs WSOF fight card/public challenge***

***EDIT/UPDATE #2 (June, 2014): Scott Coker takes over Bellator MMA***


What are the reason, if any, why either Org would NOT want to do it?


And whether it's likely to happen or not, what would be the best matchups to make?

 

[Bluesbreaker]

I'm not addressing your whole post here. I would think a PPV event would negate TV affiliations, but I'm not 100% sure.

As for matchups, I wouldn't think using champions would be good for a number of reasons. First, one champion losing to another makes the loser's org look bad, and second, what do they do with belts? Are both belts on the line? If so, they'd need to keep co-promoting to give the belt a chance to come back to the other org etc.

Lots of good fights could be made though, for sure.

 

[0PS]

Its a fantasy...

I guess Marlon Moraes vs Dantas would be the fight to make if they collaborated. Nothing else really sticks out to me but I think there could be good matchups.

 

[emperor]

Nope, not possible. Co-promotion is only feasible in MMA if we're talking companies from different markets. And even then it's tricky.

 

[BionicCommando]

I doubt it. Remember NBCSports (as Versus) threw a fit when they thought the WEC would be on Spike for the PPV prelims back in the day. My guess is we'd have similar issues again.

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

I don't see it happening because no org wants their guys (especially not their best guys/champs) losing to the other org's guys.

 

[PIT FIGHTER]

Possible?

Yes.

Probable?

No.

 

[hadji]

I don't see it ever happening. And Bellator should co-promote events with M-1, not with WSOF

 

[CoffeeAndBeer]

Nope, not possible. Co-promotion is only feasible in MMA if we're talking companies from different markets. And even then it's tricky.

Strikeforce and EliteXC co-promoted a couple of times.
Strikeforce and M-1 Global had a few.


It definitely made Strikeforce stronger.

 

[eiyuu]

Bellator was willing to co-promote to pit Eddie Alvarez vs Gilbert Melendez back when SF was still around (SF didn't want to though.)

So it's possible that one side of the equation is willing. Of course, that was before Viacom owned Bellator . . .

 

[CoffeeAndBeer]

Anyway, what MATCHUPS would you make?

Tyrone Spong vs Rampage
Marlon Moraes vs Ed Dantas (C)
Anthony Johnson vs Emanuel Newton
Okami vs Mo Lawal (at catchweight or MW)
Justin Gaethje vs Dave Rickles
Rick Glenn vs Patirico Freire
JZ Cavalcante vs Lloyd Woodard

 

[ben236]

Both promotions have TV deals, what network would this co-promoted event air on?

 

[aker2703]

Strikeforce and EliteXC co-promoted a couple of times.
Strikeforce and M-1 Global had a few.


It definitely made Strikeforce stronger.

in those examples, what TV stations were both companies on???

Strikeforce/M-1 Global were both on the showtime network.

 

[irish_thug]

in those examples, what TV stations were both companies on???

Strikeforce/M-1 Global were both on the showtime network.

And I wouldn't really call that Co-promoted. It was more like: Fedor is fighting so put M-1 on everything.

 

[aker2703]

And I wouldn't really call that Co-promoted. It was more like: Fedor is fighting so put M-1 on everything.

agree. but even if you do call it Co-promoted, they were both on Showtime anyway.

 

[irish_thug]

agree. but even if you do call it Co-promoted, they were both on Showtime anyway.

I actually enjoyed M-1's showtime broadcasts. But I like any MMA I don't have to pay for.

 

[emperor]

Strikeforce and EliteXC co-promoted a couple of times.

And look at just how overwhelmingly successful that was.

Strikeforce and M-1 Global had a few.

I said it only can work if the companies exist in different markets. This is two different markets. And M-1's foray into America was a pretty massive failure.

There's only so big a market for American MMA outside of the UFC. Why would anyone want to split a very small piece of a pie that's shrunk over the last few years?

It definitely made Strikeforce stronger.

For the short run, yes, but it also made it so that Strikeforce was nothing more than the short run.

 

[Bigj383]

Bellator was willing to co-promote to pit Eddie Alvarez vs Gilbert Melendez back when SF was still around (SF didn't want to though.)

So it's possible that one side of the equation is willing. Of course, that was before Viacom owned Bellator . . .

The bigger company never wants to copromote. UFC was willing to copromote with Pride when Pride was the bigger company. No company wants to copromote with the step down. UFC says no to everyone, SF says no to Bellator, Bellator will say no to WSOF. The only time you see a copromot if their is a gain for both companies and that is rare. Usually the larger company has more to lose.

 

[CoffeeAndBeer]

And look at just how overwhelmingly successful that was.

I'd say Strikeforce profile definitely increased because of it.
And EliteXC only got bigger after that--their problems, later on, didn't come from co-promoting with Strikeforce.

I said it only can work if the companies exist in different markets. This is two different markets. And M-1's foray into America was a pretty massive failure.

There's only so big a market for American MMA outside of the UFC. Why would anyone want to split a very small piece of a pie that's shrunk over the last few years?

For the short run, yes, but it also made it so that Strikeforce was nothing more than the short run.

I doubt Strikeforce wouldn't have grown to the level they did without EliteXC ties, without M-1/Fedor.

There is a synergistic effect, to bring together the right fighters, with the right timing.

 

[CoffeeAndBeer]

The bigger company never wants to copromote. UFC was willing to copromote with Pride when Pride was the bigger company. No company wants to copromote with the step down. UFC says no to everyone, SF says no to Bellator, Bellator will say no to WSOF. The only time you see a copromot if their is a gain for both companies and that is rare. Usually the larger company has more to lose.

Yeah, maybe, but there have been times when that did happen...
EliteXC said yes to Strikeforce
EliteXC said yes to K-1 (or the other way around)
Strikeforce said yes to M-1 Global
Strikeforce said yes to DREAM