What is Bellator doing?

[Small Town Andrew]

Putting on 12 events a year would not make money. Platforms want content.

I would argue they would make more money because the views for their events would actually do well once people see you have a quality product.. Instead they are putting on a ton of bad shows with no hope of growing its audience

 

[podsox]

probably trying to find a network. nbc sports is closing shop and rumors are that cbs sports is right behind them

 

[DoctorTaco]

I’ve got a few undercard fighters I work with and haven’t heard anything about their next events. It’s definitely frustrating

 

[CC27]

Whats MVP's beef

 

[MMALOPEZ]

I’ve got a few undercard fighters I work with and haven’t heard anything about their next events. It’s definitely frustrating

Wow sad to hear

 

[careto]

I think there is definitely something going on with Bellator. It is suspicious and beyond strange to just go silent for over a month. You would assume they would be thrilled to annouonce events, fights, any type of announcement this week after Chandler's performance and with the UFC having no events this week. But nope, 0. Some shit, probably not good, is going on.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

I’ve got a few undercard fighters I work with and haven’t heard anything about their next events. It’s definitely frustrating

Well that's more worrying, I figured that they were working in the background but just hadn't announced anything yet.

Are there any rumours among the fight community?

 

[careto]

Whats MVP's beef

He probably wanted to fight a cab driver from London who is very underrated but the Bellator brass want him to fight a legitimate top 5 contender before facing Lima.

 

[careto]

Well that's more worrying, I figured that they were working in the background but just hadn't announced anything yet.

Are there any rumours among the fight community?

Magomedov said he was back to business and tagged Bellator, so I'm assuming he has a fight coming up, Gallagher said he had a fight in April, one of their prospects mentioned he had a fight planned for late February. Some here have posted that Mousasi and Nurmagomedov have also said they have fights soon. It is definitely strange the way the promotion is so hermetic about announcing fights, you would assume they want to announce with as much time as possible but nope. They want to let people know about a week in advance.

 

[DoctorTaco]

Well that's more worrying, I figured that they were working in the background but just hadn't announced anything yet.

Are there any rumours among the fight community?

ive got a guy who trains with us that I don’t have any direct work with (he has another striking coach) who mentioned something coming up. I’ll ask him tomorrow

 

[Dijardo]

crazy thought:
could Bellator be dead, just yet unannounced? or absorbed by UFC? fact that they have no events scheduled and that Buffer introduced Chandler as a "former Bellator lw champion" during 257 broadcast (which can only mean they're no longer in competition) kinda makes me thinking.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

crazy thought:
could Bellator be dead, just yet unannounced? or absorbed by UFC? fact that they have no events scheduled and that Buffer introduced Chandler as a "former Bellator lw champion" during 257 broadcast (which can only mean they're no longer in competition) kinda makes me thinking.

I doubt it, it would be strange for them to sign Rumble and Romero and then instantly die. I also don't think the UFC would absorb them to end up with a bunch of people they got rid of back under contract (Corey, Cyborg etc).

I'm also not sure how logistically possible a merger would be now anyway. The contract structure with regards to sponsors etc will be different, which wasn't a problem when they absorbed the PRIDE and Strikeforce guys (obviously even less of an issue with WEC as they owned them anyway).

 

[Dijardo]

I doubt it, it would be strange for them to sign Rumble and Romero and then instantly die.

why not? Cocker might have been planning to run his business as usual but someone in Viacom looked at the ratings and nonexistant revenues and finally decided it's not worth it anymore and pulled the plug.

I also don't think the UFC would absorb them to end up with a bunch of people they got rid of back under contract (Corey, Cyborg etc).

what keeps them from keeping couple dozens of McKees, Nemkovs and pitbulls and just releasing the rest?

I'm also not sure how logistically possible a merger would be now anyway. The contract structure with regards to sponsors etc will be different, which wasn't a problem when they absorbed the PRIDE and Strikeforce guys (obviously even less of an issue with WEC as they owned them anyway).

true. but i think that 4 billion company can find a way to do that.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

why not? Cocker might have been planning to run his business as usual but someone in Viacom looked at the ratings and nonexistant revenues and finally decided it's not worth it anymore and pulled the plug.


what keeps them from keeping couple dozens of McKees, Nemkovs and pitbulls and just releasing the rest?


true. but i think that 4 billion company can find a way to do that.

I can't see them being that disorganised (I know it's Bellator but still) to be making big signings and then pull the plug like that. If they were in trouble you'd imo see the big signings taper off to nothing.

Again in terms of contracts it depends on what the contracts are and how easy it is to release them. Remember it's not the UFC contract wording, it's the one Bellator has. So if they end up with Corey Anderson back for example and want to release him again, maybe he's not so happy to rescind his contract this time if there isn't another obvious option for him.

 

[Guffman]

crazy thought:
could Bellator be dead, just yet unannounced? or absorbed by UFC? fact that they have no events scheduled and that Buffer introduced Chandler as a "former Bellator lw champion" during 257 broadcast (which can only mean they're no longer in competition) kinda makes me thinking.

If the UFC wanted to buy out Bellator, I'm sure they could have done it long age. But what would be the point? Aren't they involved with ongoing anti-trust litigation. That would be the last thing they'd want to do.

Bellator is no threat at all to the UFC. It nothing more than an annoying bug to them at contract negotiation times. In fact, it's very existence is a benefit to the UFC to show it's not, in fact, operating as a de facto monopoly. But that mentioning of Bellator on the last PPV was dictated by the UFC marketing people, and I wonder: why now?

I'm not sure what the value of the brand would even be at this point. It's not like they've ever managed to develop much of a fan base after all these years. I think there core fan base exists in some of the people who post here.

Anyways, I hope they can get it together and start putting out some good cards.

 

[Dijardo]

I can't see them being that disorganised (I know it's Bellator but still) to be making big signings and then pull the plug like that. If they were in trouble you'd imo see the big signings taper off to nothing.

Again in terms of contracts it depends on what the contracts are and how easy it is to release them. Remember it's not the UFC contract wording, it's the one Bellator has. So if they end up with Corey Anderson back for example and want to release him again, maybe he's not so happy to rescind his contract this time if there isn't another obvious option for him.

you might be right unless Cocker for once was smart and didnt offer unreasonable money to Rumble and Yoel who have nowhere else to go except PFL whos also not loking great long term.

but still even if Bellator contract structured so UFC can't find a way to release their fighters right away i think it still might be worth it. considering amount of fresh talents they can hypothetically get from such deal, having unhappy Anderson and Cyborg (nothing new) on a roster doesnt seem like a big problem.

also there was this and Cocker's strange overreaction to it.

i know everyone thought Askren was just being salty and trolling, but what if he wasnt?

 

[Dijardo]

If the UFC wanted to buy out Bellator, I'm sure they could have done it long age. But what would be the point? Aren't they involved with ongoing anti-trust litigation. That would be the last thing they'd want to do.

Bellator is no threat at all to the UFC. It nothing more than an annoying bug to them at contract negotiation times. In fact, it's very existence is a benefit to the UFC to show it's not, in fact, operating as a de facto monopoly. But that mentioning of Bellator on the last PPV was dictated by the UFC marketing people, and I wonder: why now?

I'm not sure what the value of the brand would even be at this point. It's not like they've ever managed to develop much of a fan base after all these years. I think there core fan base exists in some of the people who post here.

Anyways, I hope they can get it together and start putting out some good cards.

i'm not suggesting that UFC bought or should buy Bellator. more like it "died" and UFC just taking whats left.
Chandler by far wasn't a biggest Bellator asset and look how hes doing.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

you might be right unless Cocker for once was smart and didnt offer unreasonable money to Rumble and Yoel who have nowhere else to go except PFL whos also not loking great long term.

but still even if Bellator contract structured so UFC can't find a way to release their fighters right away i think it still might be worth it. considering amount of fresh talents they can hypothetically get from such deal, having unhappy Anderson and Cyborg (nothing new) on a roster doesnt seem like a big problem.

also there was this and Cocker's strange overreaction to it.

i know everyone thought Askren was just being salty and trolling, but what if he wasnt?

I dunno, Bellator have about 250 fighters on their roster. I think adding that to the around 650 fighters on the roster at the moment would just be far too many. If they were in trouble they'd almost be better letting them go under, cherry picking the 50 or so fighters they'd be interested in and then purchase the fight library for Fight Pass for a small fee.

 

[Dijardo]

I dunno, Bellator have about 250 fighters on their roster. I think adding that to the around 650 fighters on the roster at the moment would just be far too many. If they were in trouble they'd almost be better letting them go under, cherry picking the 50 or so fighters they'd be interested in and then purchase the fight library for Fight Pass for a small fee.

i won't be surprised if that's what's going on behind the scenes right now.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

i won't be surprised if that's what's going on behind the scenes right now.

It's possible, I do think you're putting 2 and 2 together and maybe getting 5 though. It's not like Bellator have ever been known for being competent.