Typical UFC Fanatic, trying to explain a bunch of garbage. The UFC free agents are not worth every penny because look at Bellator's falling ratings. 11 of 13 shows this year under 500,000 average live viewers. Bellator 203 did 391,000 average viewers, so much for your theory. Matt Mitrione vs Roy Nelson did just 242,000 average live viewers. Both of those guys were ex-UFC fighters that went into free agency and didn't draw squat in Bellator when they headlined the card. And the tournament format apparently didn't get old with Bellator under Bjorn Rebney because it grew and grew. From MTV2, to ShowTime to Spike Network, now Paramount, the ratings kept increasing was the reason for the growth and Bjorn Rebney did it with Bellator for 6 years. And he didn't rely on UFC free agents and past their prime ex-UFC fighters to build his company, no, he let the fighters build themselves and the company. How about Michael Chandler, and Ben Askren, and Pat Curran, and Patricio Pitbull Freire and Alexander Volkov and Vitaly Minakov and Eddie Alvarez and Alexander Shlemenko and Hector Lombard. None of them ex-UFC at the time and yet Bellator grew their fan base to watch them. So every point you tried aimlessly to make was wrong. The PFL needs to continue to build their own fan base because you UFC internet are the absolute worse anyway. You all look at everything through UFC blinders, want every fighter who wins in other MMA organizations to go to the UFC. Your first comments about any MMA organization is always they will never be the UFC, so why would any company even want to even draw that kind of fan base? Bjorn Rebney realized there was a company called the UFC, so why try to be like them because the fans would just say IF I WANTED TO SEE A UFC COPYCAT, I MAY AS WELL KEEP WATCHING THE UFC. The PFL needs to build their own stars by letting those fighters build a name for themselves. Already this season we have surprises like Kevin Tiller and Natan Schulte. We have
You are wrong in every facet. First, the tournament base format factually did not undermine itself after a season or two in the Bjorn Rebney's owned Bellator because he ran it for 6 growing years. From MTV2 to ShowTime, I believe, to Spike Network, which is now Paramount. Bjorn Rebney's Bellator didn't get stale, it grew. And Bellator's tournament format let the fighters build names for themselves like Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez and Ben Askren and Pat Curran and Patricio Pitbull Freire and Eduardo Dantas and Alexander Shlemenko and Hector Lombard. And none had UFC pedigree, but fans tuned in because it wasn't the UFC. Because if fans wanted to see a copycat verison of the UFC, then they could just tune in and watch the UFC. Bellator and the UFC were unique unto themselves and that is why both thrived and fans actually recognized Bellator was not trying to be the UFC. The PFL needs to keep putting on shows, keep their own identity and let their fighters build themselves and grow their own fan base. Ratings in One Championship is huge, ratings in RIZIN FC are huge, Cage Warriors ratings are great, BAMMA'S ratings are solid, but Bellator's are awful. That doesn't sound like a overall MMA issue, it sounds like a Bellator issue. And guess how Bellator's decision makers are trying to rectify things? They're going back tofeaturing tournaments. If New Coke was so successful, there never would have been a need to go back to old Coca-Cola, called Classic Coke, which is now regular Coca-Cola. Kayla Harrison said the PFL will have a Women's Featherweight season and Tournament starting in January 2019, so look for the likes of Pam Sorenson and Sarah Patterson and Bobbi Jo Dalziel and Cindy Dandois to be signed.
Calling me a typical UFC Fanatic is hilarious downright hysterical......do a quick check of my posts lmfao I'm a Bellator fanatic if anything.since you have a huge wall of text I'll do this point by point.
1)"The UFC free agents are not worth every penny because look at Bellator's falling ratings. 11 of 13 shows this year under 500,000 average live viewers."
Apparently you live under a rock and don't realize the viewership in mma is down across the board.The leading brand in mma the UFC has seen multiple record low viewerships for free events and have seen record low PPV buys.The free agents like Rory,mousasi,meathead,bader,etc are worth every penny there is no smart argument otherwise.They bring an immediate talent barometer that is visible to fans and elevates the talent level of the brand.The falling ratings are COMPLETELY to do with the overall drop in viewers in the sport it's absolutely obvious to anyone with eyes.
2)"The tournament format apparently didn't get old with Bellator under Bjorn Rebney because it grew and grew. From MTV2, to ShowTime to Spike Network, now Paramount, the ratings kept increasing was the reason for the growth and Bjorn Rebney did it with Bellator for 6 years. And he didn't rely on UFC free agents and past their prime ex-UFC fighters to build his company, no, he let the fighters build themselves and the company."
The tourney was fine for a few years it gave them a unique identity and produced stars but it did get old and began to undermine itself overtime.Champions complained about being shelved way too long waiting for challengers, fact Cole Konrad retired because of inactivity.No free agents wanted to sign the best they could get was Rampage and Tito which destroys your lie that he never used ex ufc fighters....he tried to base his PPV around them 2× lmfao.The quality of fighters went down as time went on and you seen a big amount of champions and stars leave to the ufc.Bellator was never on Showtime lmfao.......
They started on ESPN deportes,fox sports net,telemundo,and NBC.....then they moved to MTV2 then SPIKE which is now PARAMOUNT.They had steady ratings that were good on Viacom but he had no vision for expansion and all the lingering problems with tourney format were too much.Coker came in and had better ratings,profits,everything for the first 2 years allowing Viacom to give him more money for free agents and growing internationally. Before Coker the only place outside the US bellator went to was canada.Bjorn didn't even have a working relationship with Kevin Kay within the first 3 months Coker had Kevin doing the production for Bellator something that should have been done years ago.Coker has acquired multitudes of broadcasting deals across the world and maintained a solid product through these downtimes in viewership.
2)"Ratings in One Championship is huge, ratings in RIZIN FC are huge, Cage Warriors ratings are great, BAMMA'S ratings are solid, but Bellator's are awful."
One is completely held in one area of the world and are barely viewed by the majority of MMA fans outside of that small area.Rizin #s are hit and miss and much like ONE Numbers are inflated just by regional audiences. Cage warriors and BAMMA are regional orgs with no big leagues in town. BAMMA copromotes with bellator every time they are in town happily because they do the best numbers for the year with these shows......BAMMAis Bellators feeder league and we shall see how Bellators UK &IRELAND ratings are.Are you honestly arguing that the downturn in viewership numbers in the #1 market for mma in the 2 biggest orgs in MMA are unrelated to the markets downturn and your proof is saying regional orgs in lesser niche markets are doing OK numbers? That's some serious grasping at straws like actual clinical insanity.
4)"They're going back tofeaturing tournaments. If New Coke was so successful, there never would have been a need to go back to old Coca-Cola, called Classic Coke, which is now regular Coca-Cola."
Coker has ALWAYS been holding tournaments started in STRIKEFORCE but like when he took over bellator he did them when they matter.Instead of nonstop monotony of tourneys he does them big and when it means something.From the one night LHW tourney,to the HW GP to decide a HW champ,To the unique WW tourney having Rory defend every fight and featuring world class WW talent......ill take these over a few months of randoms.
Coker and his vision landed the biggest moneymaking contract in Bellators history securing hundreds of millions of dollars for 3 years with an option to renew up to 5.
Haters gonna hate......the grass is always greener right????
War coker