MMA News: Scott Coker Breaks Silence on Bellator Buyout, Turning Down PFL Job
Scott Coker is going back to his roots.
We haven't heard much from the longtime Bellator MMA CEO since the Professional Fighter's League purchased the promotion in November. Acquiring a roster of athletes, the PFL lent out a hand to Bellator's staff to see if they wanted to join forces.
Coker, who has been a prominent figure in running Bellator for the last decade, decided to decline the PFL's offer.
"I thought about it, the opportunity was there, but how I felt was it's time to be [going]," Coker told MMA Junkie. "It's time for me, for myself to be an entrepreneur. I love that the most. I worked for Viacom in Paramount for nine years. It was a great experience. I'm glad I did it.
"Paramount was very good to me. I learned a lot over there, but, I'm an entrepreneur at heart," Coker added. "It's really the first job I took as an adult and I only came over there because there's a gentleman by the name of Kevin Kay who basically I really, really got along with.. He was an amazing TV executive. I loved working with him. I loved working for him. But then, when he left, it changed the dynamics of the company."
It's not the promoter's first time around the block as the UFC acquired Strikeforce in 2011, where Coker also led as the CEO.
Coker doesn't hold any hard feelings with the PFL coming in and taking over, at the end of the day, it's just business.
"I worked hard. I think we built some great value in that company. Listen, when Strikeforce built, it had value, somebody wanted to come buy it. When Bellator built, it's like it had value. Somebody wanted to come buy it. So to me it's like, this is something that is natural in business. But I always felt like, look, if they sold the company one day, I always told myself I would go back and be an entrepreneur and that's really what I wanted to do."
Following the PFL-Bellator merger, Coker's entrepreneurial sights are on promoting an MMA event with former Strikeforce, WEC Champion and UFC veteran Gilbert Melendez.
Coker will serve as the executive producer for 'Fight Night at the Tech' on May 18 in San Jose, CA, with Melendez running their first-ever show as a promoter.
"After spending years fighting, commentating, analyzing, coaching, I'm excited to expand my contribution to Bay Area MMA. I am teaming up with one of the greatest promoters in combat sports history @ScottCoker to bring you Fight Night at Tech May 18th at Tech CU Arena in San Jose CA," Melendez announced on 'X' on Thursday.
Bellator MMA will never quite be the same without Scott Coker, but the promotion is still standing under the PFL banner with more fights on the way in 2024.
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