Bellator president Scott Coker went on Ariel Helwani’s ESPN MMA Show on Monday and revealed that his marketing is thinking about running a 16-man featherweight grand prix tournament. According to Coker, the championship will begin operating in October and will feature 16 of their top featherweights in Bellator, for example fighters in the branch as well as bantamweights moving up and possibly even lightweights moving . The featherweight tournament follows in the footsteps of this advertising’s heavyweight grand prix, which just saw Ryan Bader crowned winner, and the welterweight tournament, which is still ongoing.
Coker told Helwani he needs the very first round of eight fights in the tournament to take place on one night or on back-to-back nights in the autumn. In addition, he said he wants the championship to complete within a year, which practically mirrors the heavyweight and welterweight tournament timelines.
As far as who will be among the 16 fighters in the tournament, so far nobody has been declared, but Coker did say he wants Bellator featherweight champion Patricio»Pitbull» Freire to be a part of the tournament. Pitbull is shooting on Michael Chandler in May for the Bellator lightweight name, so if he does participate in the tournament he will be the champion, meaning his belt is going to be on the line in every round of this tournament just like Rory MacDonald’s welterweight name is on the line each time he fights.
So far as some other featherweights who are expected to be in the tournament, here are some who appear to be close locks: Rising prospect AJ McKee; leading rival Henry Corrales; former champ Daniel Straus; former champ Pat Curran; former top prospect Aaron Pico; former name competition Emmanuel Sanchez; and former UFC fighter Sam Sicilia.
The fact there aren’t 16 featherweights means that bantamweights will also be invited to move up, and Coker already said that James Gallagher and Darrion Caldwell will be requested to take part in the tournament. I’d also anticipate Ricky Bandejas and Juan Archuleta to be requested, as well. So far as lightweights go, there could potentially be a couple of fighters who may create the cut down a weight class including Derek Campos, who just fought at featherweight in his last struggle, and Ryan Scope, who just lost a close fight against Patricky»Pitbull» Freire.
It is fascinating to see Bellator continue to hold these tournaments as the game of MMA was build on the championship format. The promotion’s bedrock back at the Bjorn Rebney days has been the championships but when Coker first came in they started to go away in trade for superfights and legends conflicts. Nonetheless, it seems like Coker, Bellator, Paramount and DAZN love the tournaments since this is the next one the promotion will be running within the last couple of decades. At this point, you have to wonder what the next tournament for Bellator is, and if I had to guess that it could be something in the women’s divisions. For now, though, featherweight is getting a fantastic set of conflicts.
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