MMA Fighting - Scott Coker Talks Bellator Return, Possible Addition of Paige VanZant

Episode Date: July 18, 2020

Bellator president Scott Coker speaks with MMA Fighting's Mike Heck about the promotion's return to action July 24, hosting several events at Mohegan Sun, the 'Fightsphere,' testing procedures, an update on the featherweight grand prix, and Bellator's interest in Paige VanZant now that she is a free agent.   Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. All right, so MMA fans got some great news earlier this week as Bellator officially announced that they are back next Friday, July 24th at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. Bellator 242. The main event is Sergio Pettis versus Ricky Bandehas have to be joined by Bellator President Scott Coker following this big news. Scott, how are you, sir? Good great. Thank you for having me.

Absolutely. So this is obviously very big news. It's been five months since you guys have been able to. put on an event. It's been a chaotic year. But how excited do you to actually be preparing for an actual card that's on the books as opposed to preparing to trying to, I guess, get something rolling during this crazy time in the world? I'll say it's ironic that this is the location that we left in March on the 13th, I believe, and shut everything down

because COVID was just hitting that week. And everything was shutting down around us. So we shut the production down. But now we're back to the Moheas Sun and ready to throw some fights. There's been some things floated around about when and where these events could take place. And I thought there was some conversation about maybe doing it on a soundstage in California, but it's back a Mohican Sun, like you said. How did that happen to get back to Connecticut? Were there any other locations discussed?

You know, there was, we were talking to five different locations, you know, as having backup. And the one thing we found out rather quickly was that the soundstage idea was great, but they do have Paramount, I mean Paramount and CBS Studios, and they do have a bunch of TV shows that they're doing and producing and coming back to business here in the next month or so. So we would have had to have gone out and been out of it a little bit quicker than we would have We would have stuck to state in L.A.

And so we chose a location where we could stay at least through the end of September, maybe even longer. And basically, essentially, acting as a bubble and kind of like a fight camp or a fight like a fight camp, but a fight sphere, a biosphere for fighting. And it'll create a safe environment where people can come. I mean what I mean by people on talking about fighters, staff, avixtaping. the Commission, doctors, officials won't to get there. They don't have to leave. They can stay through the whole process. Testing is, you know, on-site.

And results back in hours. We were working with the Mike Mozilla and the Moly Sun Tribe. And they're working with the Yukon University there. So the results are being done processed by the Yukon Lab. been, we've really created this little nice little formula that's going to work out quite well. Can you talk more about that formula? Because, you know, we kind of see what your competitors have been doing, show up, you test, you quarantine for 24 to 48 hours, weigh in, test it again, and then you go fight the next day. Is it going to be similar for, for you guys heading into

next Friday night's event? How is that going to work if you have any specifics for us? I think the, I think the biggest key is that we have basically given our athletes a test before they even get on the plane and before they're allowed to take up on the plane. And we want those results back before, you know, people kick off because, you know, why get on a plane travel across the country just to, you know, not have any kind of information. And when you land, you get tested and then the next day,

they tell you you you have a problem, right? so I think we're maybe one step in front of that but it's quite intensive the testing is and the whole process of you know being in this let's say a fight sphere it's quite it's quite it's quite a document let's put it that way I think that you know we could I was telling my guys

it looks like a document that you look at it would be like look at you'd be like these are the the reentry coordinates for the SpaceX coming back to them. You know, I mean, seriously. It's that much work. And, you know, we had to make sure that the parent company was happy. And we went through a lot of compliance and protocols and, you know, make sure that their HR department

and everybody feels comfortable. And they have a production task force that will thoroughly examine this, scrutinized it and they felt good about it. So it took us a little bit longer than we would have liked to announce it. But, you know, that's why we announced it a couple days ago instead of maybe a week ago. Well, it's better to air on the side of caution when you're dealing with the global pandemic. So I commend what you guys have been doing and taking that extra time. But next Friday's card, headline by Sergio Pettis versus Ricky Van dejas, which is a great fight.

You get some of your highly touted prospects competing on the card as well, guys like Aaron. Pico, Logan Storley, Taiwan Claxton, Rafiun Stats, and more. And I know you tried to book a Bannamoy title fight. At least that's what reports say between Archelaida and Patrick Mix, but Archelaida was forced to withdraw. But there may not be a title fight at the top of this card, but this is still a pretty exciting lineup, is it not? Oh, I mean, come on.

This is like, if you want to see some kids scrap and really throw it down, this is the card to watch. And, you know, it's, I'm excited to see. Aaron Pico's return. See how he looks, the new and improve a version, Taiwan-Claxton, you know, fighting Jay Wilson. I mean, but Ricky Van DeHan's fighting against Sergio Pettis, that's going to be a war.

And something I'm looking forward to. And listen, Jason Jackson, he's a super talented kid. A lot of people underestimate this guy, and him fighting Jordan Bean, a seasoned veteran. I mean, it's just going to be a guy that have records that are, you know, 11-4 versus 31 and 12, and Ben Dehis, you know, there's 60 fights and pedis who's 25 fights. I mean, you know, like guys that have been a fight at every single level, and this is their opportunity to keep it going.

Yeah, it's a good card. It should be a lot of fun. It's going to kick off at 845, the prelims on Bellator's YouTube page, and then we head to the main card at 10 o'clock Eastern Time on Paramount Network. I assume Mix versus Archiletta is still the plan for you guys for the vacant Bannamway title. Any kind of time frame on when that might be scheduled to take place now? You know what? We're planning to be in this ecosystem, at least through the end of September.

So hopefully, you know, we'll be able to fight together sometime in mid-September. That's what we're shooting for. So this is here, because the reports that come out that August 7th, August 21st, September 11th, these are events and dates that you guys had in mind. Are those locked in now in the sphere here? Yeah, those dates are just the opening announcement of dates. And what I mean by that is we're going to be adding a lot more dates, you know, once we kind of get going.

These are our four fight series or five fight series, let's say, but this is a good chance, depending on what happens with the public. I just don't see people coming to the mass galleries of sport any kind of anytime soon. So I think we'll be continuing to shoot like in this little ecosystem, a little stage, you know, in a south stage atmosphere. I think that we might be doing this through the end of the year. All right. And then a couple of fights that have been sort of thrown out there. Michael Chandler versus Benson Henderson 2 for the August 7th card.

Phil Davis versus Leona Machita for the September 11th card. Are those fights confirmed at this point? You know what? That's something I probably refer back to writing on that one. But, you know, I do know that we're working hard trying to get some of those fights together. Keep in mind, these fights, you know, these fights, I'm sorry, these events, even though they're, you know, they're in front of a non-audience, basically. and it's going to have a different feel to a different look to it.

You're going to see the biggest stars in our company fight of these events. I mean, we want running to fight. I want a champion to fight. I want defense in the fight. I want, I want, I want pit bull. I'm sorry. I want, you know, but we want control the fight. We want cyber to fight.

And we can get Gagart over here. I want Gagart to come back to fight, too. So you're going to see the biggest fighters that we have. on the on these on the December series. Any update on the on the Grand Prix? I know that was going on. It was getting a lot of momentum. It was actually supposed to headline the card at Bohigan that got canceled right before

is about to begin. Is there any kind of an update on one that might continue? Yes. You could imagine like, you know, we're anxious to get that going again. Issue is trying to get the fighters into the country from our territories. It's been very challenging. So you have had little success so far. Hopefully we have to open up.

But if not, you know, maybe we have to go to Europe to, to, to, to, to, to finalize that tournament. Because there's so many fighters from around the world fighting in a tournament, like Wichel, like Pitbull. I think there's a couple others who still left. But at the end of the day, if we can't get them into the country, so it's hard to bite them. We can't even talk about entry, you know, have the entry here. So the plan would be, you know, in a perfect world, we do this in Mohegan and the Spear. If not, we do it over in Europe and try to get it going that way. Because obviously this is a difficult time and, you know, trying to get those logistics figured out.

That's just as important as actually seeing the fights themselves. Yes, because, you know, we all look for the fighters and we have been done your best. Absolutely, we have a tremendous amount of resources available to us. And our legal department is working with government affairs and there's something to, you know, different legal departments and, you know, let's say, I don't know, I want to say like, for instance, the travel department internationally, it's, you know, they're very dialed into what's happening in Europe. So far, it's been a no-go. And I'm a little bit surprised by that, to be honest, but I understand it as well.

So everything's on lockdown right now. And, you know, it's been, it's been, you know, I hear fighters coming from time to time, but it hasn't been often or frequent. So we're going to push and keep pushing. And we'll get it done. It's just going to be bad at the time. One of the things that people have said is that Bellatorite has come back soon because, quote, you guys are losing momentum as these weeks and months go on.

And I don't necessarily agree with that sentiment. I mean, this part of it that's true because absence does make the heart grow fonder, but how do you feel about that? Because you know better than anybody, Scott. This is MMA. And all you need sometimes is one great event, one great fight, and that can erase an absence very quickly. Is that how you guys are looking at this right now?

Yeah, I mean, listen, we're going to put on some great fights. We're going to go back to doing what we do. And we have a great product. We have some amazing world-class fighters, great organization, a great TV partner. Happy to have these fights on Paramount. and, you know, one thing I, you know, I'm sure that your showtime will dig into this a little bit deeper,

but, you know, they're going to be also filming fights on the weekends that we're not promoting MMA, or producing MMA shows. So it'll really be like a combat sports venue for both companies. And, you know, so that's, that's, that's, that's, It's one of the ways I think that being under one abroad and having one ownership group, they proved to have synergies at the highest level here working with Stephen and Showtime

and the production and our production crew and how we work together. In fact, they send me some pictures from the site street today with both crews in there walking around. It's actually very interesting. I think it's historical in many ways. But at the end of the day, like you said, fight fans want to see fights. And that's what we're going to produce. And so, you know, I don't believe that we're going to be going to get back. I mean, hey, I think that people will appreciate July 24th and beyond.

And then it'll be the frequency will be kind of back to normal in some ways. And, you know, people will get used to that and normal, you know, I think radically. If we're not producing great fights, which I know we will, that's the issue. But with our roster and the death of our talent and the young kids that we have today, this tournament we got going on, and you guys have to grace up to announce in the future. I'm excited about what the future looks like for Belator. I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you about this because this is the question that everyone's been sort of asking when it comes to Bellator and what's happened as of this past weekend.

is where does Paige Van Zan go from here? Because she's now a free agent. Her husband, Austin Vanderford, is already in Bellator doing very, very, very well for you guys. I know it's only been five days since that fight with Amanda Hebas happened in Abu Dhabi, but have you in Paige or her team had a conversation yet about her future potentially in Bellator?

You know, to be honest, I don't think we've had a business conversation yet. And we definitely have a relationship. with her husband, Camp and the management. So we definitely will reach out here when she gets back and settled. I mean, she's coming out. She's back,

but she's probably still settling from the trip. And from what I heard, it wasn't a very fun time over there. And it's, but listen, do we want to be in the Page Vansand business? We definitely want to have a conversation with it. And see if there's a threat because I think, listen, we do a lot of great things for female NMA. And, you know, if you look back in the history of Strike Force, we were the number one, you know, big organization to do it.

Are you confident you can get this done? And, you know, I would say, you know, we're going to do our best to have a serious conversation here in the near future. Makes a lot of sense. We'll definitely keep our eyes on that. And Scott, last thing before we let you go, I appreciate the time today, especially with everything. being so chaotic, getting ready to put on your first fight in a while next Friday, but it's been such a crazy year, and we're only in July, which is crazy to look at when you're looking at the calendar, but you guys are going to be getting back to action a little over a week's time. What would you say right now is your goal as a promotion for the rest of the year realistically?

Like, what do you have to do as an organization, Scott, to make this a successful year for Bellator? Well, you know, we definitely have some company goals on check, on the, you know, to check the box. And one is continuity. You want to have a certain amount of continuity for the fans and for the fighters to compete. And which kind of, you know, this whole COVID thing just kind of stop the sports world or stop the world pretty much. But we want to get back to, you know, some continuity for the fans and the athletes. athletes.

And then from there, you know, we've been doing a great job on the recharge series on CBS Sports Network. We have some international goals. We're still looking to achieve. You know, we have some sponsorships, sponsorship goals that we have designated. And they keep growing this roster and, you know, keep moving forward and putting on, you know, the best fights the Bell's working put on. and I think that we have an amazing fight roster.

And if you look at the young town on this roster, it's pretty amazing. So I'm excited about the future, and I'm excited about this year. We have a lot of other stuff we're working on that I just can't talk about it right now, as you can't imagine. But we'll have some big announcements soon. Well, we are looking forward to those big announcements. We're looking forward to seeing Bellator back in action next Friday at Mohegan Sun on the Paramount Network. I appreciate the time very much. Congratulations on getting things back, ready to go,

and all the best to you as we look to make 2020 a successful year after just such a rough start to it. Yeah, it's tough, but, you know, hang in there. We're going to get through this together, and we're going to do it the right way and health and safety first, but we're excited about July 24th. Thank you, Scott. Take care.

Thank you. Bye. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.