Scott Coker Q&A: Bellator 255, rankings birth, ‘MVP,’ Megan Anderson, Tyron Woodley, more

“When I feel the electrical energy at the weigh-ins and talking to my guys and all of the staff and every little thing, it’s going to be a substantial moment. Any time you own a expend or spin home misfortune, which is de facto what that is, the winner will get to pass forward and fight A.J. McKee, expectantly in numerous months. The loser has to pass home and the winner will get to fight for $1 million. Here’s a huge fight for every and every of them.

“Final time they fought, it turned into as soon as one in every of my current fights of all time. It turned into as soon as a warfare. To me, it turned into as soon as, in older boxing terms, the Leonard-Duran first fight. They introduced it and it turned into as soon as a warfare. I own it’s the closing time ‘Pitbull’ had a destroy up dedication. Folk don’t expend, but I be conscious talking to the coaches. After the fight in Israel, Tel Aviv, a couple years encourage, ‘Pitbull’ had to pass to the sanatorium. He turned into as soon as there for three days. He couldn’t go except he healed up and so they launched him. It turned into as soon as a warfare and I’m telling you it’s going to be the the same factor this time.”

“Each person that knows the industry, knows who he is and what he’s executed, what he’s performed. To appear him accumulate that notoriety, now not from the hardcore fans, but the fringe fans, and impartial trusty moderate fans of sports activities, I own he deserves it. I own loads of it will seemingly be how he performs the next day evening, too. Which ability of it is seemingly you’ll perhaps perhaps even own a substantial legacy. I mean, that is a man who’s executed all of it.

“He’s fought all people we’ve ever requested him to fight. He’s by no way had a lifeless fight in his life that I’ve ever considered. He consistently brings it. He strikes a chord in my memory of the Diaz brothers in a style. He’s received that small chip on his shoulder. He’ll fight in a cell phone booth if he has to. He’s now not anxious of any individual. That’s why they name him ‘Pitbull.’ It’s love he’s received this small attitude about him.”

“It’s an organization and a network that with no doubt knows ideas about how to promote fights. Stare what they did with Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, and look what they did with Strikeforce. They constructed the closing 10 years’ period of fighters, whenever you utter about it, ethical? They had been very instrumental in Strikeforce. Certain, we introduced the fighters, but they received those fighters the notoriety they deserved. I’m talking about guys who had no fights coming into MMA. The Daniel Cormiers of the enviornment. The T-Woods. They are extraordinarily superb storytellers (with) substantial, substantial, substantial production price. It’s a top price network and all people right here already knows MMA.”

“There’s consistently going to be a discrepancy of this person being ranked before this person. Nonetheless what I turned into as soon as with no doubt enthusiastic about turned into as soon as basically seeing it on paper. What I’m having a not sleep for is when these fighters that haven’t fought yet fight and we are in a position to accumulate them into the rankings. Adore, the Yoel Romeros. Adore, the ‘Rumble’ Johnsons, the those who had impartial trusty attain on board within the gentle heavyweight tournament. When we accumulate that going, to look those guys integrated into the rankings, I’m with no doubt having a not sleep for the rankings at the pause of Could impartial, after that first spherical is total.”

“We equipped him (Neiman Gracie) a couple (of) months within the past. London is peaceful shut down. That’s the subject. He felt he didn’t own adequate time to put together. There’s no one to roll with and he didn’t feel cheerful taking a fight at this level without the superb coaching. We’re impartial trusty expecting him. When he’s ready, we’ll set him ethical in there.

“There is an subject with getting one of the most most fighters over right here from the U.Okay., but Michael has already been cleared to attain encourage in. He’ll be lovely. When he’s ready, we’ll be ready.”

“I didn’t know (his contract expired). I’m definite UFC has matching negotiating rights, issues love that. So I don’t must comment. Nonetheless T-Wood is a substantial friend. He’s been a impartial trusty ambassador for the game. He’s had so many substantial matchups right here in Strikeforce sooner than and within the UFC. I’m now not even definite if he desires to fight (any more). Indubitably, I haven’t talked to him about it.”

“I own my guys are talking to her, but I’ll must verify that.”

“Half of this industry has been expecting these visas to accumulate licensed. It took a truly lengthy time for Corey Anderson’s opponent (Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov) to accumulate licensed. We had been nearly going to must swap opponents within the future because we’re shut to keen forward, love, ‘Who am I preventing?’ Anyway, that turned into as soon as one in every of the disorders that pushed every little thing encourage, so we impartial trusty said whenever you guys must own more time to put together and fight in Could impartial, we’ll attain a double-header in Could impartial with (Juan) Archuleta and (Sergio) Pettis and ‘Rumble’ (Anthony Johnson) and Yoel Romero. That’s a pay-per-ogle fight card in my ogle.”

“We’re monitoring the knowledge. We’re monitoring the precise course of. If he’s stumbled on guilty, then he’ll be eliminated from the roster ethical away. We’re going to let the precise course of steal its course.”

“It’s a challenging subject because we take care of it as successfully. Generally fighters aren’t satisfied and so they must renegotiate their deal. Nonetheless it with no doubt’s no diverse than some other sport (with) fighters retaining out, athletes and soccer avid gamers retaining out, boxers retaining out. This happens. Even within the movie industry, ethical? The ability and the production are consistently going to own beef since the athlete feels love they deserve more. I don’t know his notify misfortune. I’m impartial trusty talking in frequent terms. That’s now not an distinctive theme in sports activities. To me, it happens all around the attach. It’s with no doubt between Jon and the UFC because he’s now not a Bellator fighter.”