S. Coker is the president of Bellator. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
End of an era. After two controversies involving two of its main athletes, Bellator decided to evolve. Used to promoting its main fights with three five-minute rounds, the company will finally leave the old model and, from January onwards, adopt rules like those of the UFC, with five five-minute rounds. The information was confirmed by the company's president, Scott Coker, in an interview with 'The MMA Hour'.
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“When the incident with Yoel romero, I said we would like to see two more rounds. The same thing happened in the MVP fight (Michael Page, against Douglas lima, at Bellator 267). We needed to pull the trigger”, said the agent.
O case involving the Cuban happened precisely during the veteran's debut in the organization. In the confrontation against Phil Davis, in which the debutante ended up surpassed by points, the athlete starred in an unusual moment, when he was surprised to learn that the duel did not follow UFC guidelines. According to the fighter, he was not aware that the fight would last 15 minutes.
Company pupil, Michael Page He did not experience a similar situation to Yoel, but he expressed his dissatisfaction with the company's model. After overcoming Douglas lima in a tight victory on points, the 'darling' admitted that he would like the clash to be played in five stages (25 minutes).
With two of his biggest talents dissatisfied, Coker said the change will be made, and soon. The company will adopt the new rule from next season.
“It will start on January XNUMXst. This has been in the plans for some time”, he concluded.
The change makes Bellator take a new step in its growth. In 2021, the company created its ranking for the first time.
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