Scott Coker Happy With PFL vs Bellator Results
“Proud of the boys!” -Scott Coker
Scott Coker seems to have ridden off into the sunset of mixed martial arts in 2023. But that doesn’t mean he’s not watching.
The Champs-vs-Champs PFL vs Bellator pay-per-view went down in Saudi Arabia Saturday afternoon and the Bellator side of the main card had a near-clean sweep against PFL fighters. The fighters that stepped in the cage for the Riyadh Season MMA event from the Bellator side were all highly touted and sought after by Coker when he was the Bellator MMA President. When the event was over, Coker posted on social media to let the competitors and fans know, he was watching and supporting as a fan. “ Proud of the boys!” Coker posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Proud of the boys!
Great effort all around#PFLvsBellator pic.twitter.com/951dg23s8M
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) February 24, 2024
On November 20, the PFL acquired Bellator MMA. The news came after a wave of speculation and rumors turned into facts. Coker, the now former president of Bellator had taken the reigns of Bellator in 2014 to turn it into a brand that fighters seemed to like, and longtime fans of the sport appreciated.
Coker always seemed different from the other promoters. Of course, they all share the business side, but Coker seemed to have something they didn’t. A true passion for martial arts, as a martial artist. Not the fights, but the code of honor about representing martial arts, whatever the art is that competes. Black Belt Magazine posted a similar sentiment as 2023 ended and the deal with the PFL was public.
Promotion vs promotions or brand vs brand isn’t something new. Coker was already doing it with the RIZIN Fighting Federation, something RIZIN Chairman Nobuyuki Sakakibara would have liked to continue because of their long relationship. In an interview with MMA Fighting, Sakakibara said It was easy to because of the vision he and Coker shared.
Given the results of the event, perhaps Bellator can use Coker in the future. Whatever Coker does, if it’s in the fight business we better pay attention.
