Scott Coker Speaks on the Difficulties of Strikeforce and Bellator Co-Promoting

When it comes to “dream fights”, Bellator FC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez taking on strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez registers pretty high on my radar. In fact, I honestly consider it the biggest Lightweight match that could be made outside of the UFC. Alvarez recently confronted Scott Coker about making this match a reality, but the Strikeforce CEO seemed hesitant to work out a deal. Recently Coker has shed some additional light on the subject. Here are the highlights from an interview with Sherdog.

“Obviously our record shows that we will co-promote and we will let fighters go and exchange fighters with other leagues… I think our record speaks for itself on that front. [But] we’re doing 16, 18, maybe 20 [events] in a calendar year. Timing is an issue because we need our athletes to be busy in Strikeforce… It’s not always an easy thing when you co-promote… [The people at Bellator] have a deal with Fox and NBC late night, and Showtime is our partner. So where does the fight air? There’s your first question, and I think that’s going to be a big hurdle… When you start thinking where’s this thing going to air, I can tell you right now I think it’s going to be a big issue.”

As much as I hate to admit it, Coker has some pretty good points. In today’s MMA world it’s very difficult to co-promote. The UFC won’t even entertain the notion of co-promotion, it’s one of the main reasons why Fedor Emelianenko still hasn’t competed in the Octagon. To their credit, Strikeforce does have a working relationship with M-1 Global (Fedor’s management team and an actual MMA promotion in and of itself) as well as the Japanese-based DREAM organization. But neither of those promotions are in league with Bellator (at least in the United States, where Strikeforce books all of its shows), which has quickly emerged as the popular underground alternative that’s home to exciting fights and highlight-reel moments.

Like Coker said, expect to see some network warfare if we want Alvarez/Melendez to become a reality. I don’t think either network (and even the promoters themselves) wants to run the risk of their champion getting clowned on during a major televised show that takes place on a different network in a different promotion. It takes a lot of grease to get those wheels going, if you get the reference. For a promotion and the network behind it to offer up one of its best champions and brightest stars to another promotion and another network, there’s going to have to be a lot of give-and-take boardroom debates. It’s a sad fact that I absolutely hate, but let’s be honest: we all know that this’ll be a big political game long before it ever becomes a reality.

And that’s a real shame, because I think Strikeforce and Bellator can only benefit from co-promotion. Strikeforce needs good talent to fill out their rosters, they’re high on big-name stars but low on middle-level fighters. Bellator has slim pickings when it comes to their biggest stars, but they boast an army of up-and-coming talent that always puts on great fights. On paper, it seems to be the perfect match. Bellator even supports women’s MMA, and as sparse as the female MMA landscape is, both promotions would benefit immensely by pooling their talent.

I don’t think Strikeforce needs Bellator to succeed, and I believe the reverse is also true. But it would sure help. Both promotions would benefit from increased brand awareness, an increased roster of talent, and several marquee-value “dream fights”. If Bellator and Strikeforce can just play nice, we’ve got some great fights to look forward to in the future. Here’s hoping.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think about a possible Bellator/Strikeforce relationship?