Bellator president Scott Coker proceeded on Ariel Helwani’s ESPN MMA Show on Monday and disclosed that his marketing is planning on running a 16-man featherweight grand prix tournament. According to Coker, the championship will start operating in October and will feature 16 of the top featherweights in Bellator, including fighters in the branch as well as bantamweights moving upward and potentially even lightweights moving . The featherweight tournament follows at the forefront of this advertising’s heavyweight grand prix, which just saw Ryan Bader crowned champion, and the welterweight tournament, which is still ongoing.
Coker advised Helwani he wants the very first round of eight fights in the tournament to take place on a single night or about back-to-back nights at the autumn. He also said he wants the tournament to complete within a calendar year, which nearly mirrors the heavyweight and welterweight tournament timelines.
As far as that will be one of the 16 fighters in the championship, so far no one has been declared, but Coker did say that he wants Bellator featherweight champion Patricio”Pitbull” Freire to be a part of the championship game. Pitbull is taking 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 the tournament like Rory MacDonald’s welterweight title is on the line every time he fights.
So far as some other featherweights that are predicted to be in the tournament, here are some who appear to be close locks: Growing prospect AJ McKee; top contender Henry Corrales; former champ Daniel Straus; former champ Pat Curran; former high prospect Aaron Pico; former name contender Emmanuel Sanchez; and former UFC fighter Sam Sicilia.
The fact there aren’t 16 featherweights ways that bantamweights will also be invited to move up, and Coker already said that James Gallagher and Darrion Caldwell will be requested to get involved in the championship. I would also expect Ricky Bandejas and Juan Archuleta to be asked, as well. As far as lightweights proceed, there could potentially be a few fighters who could make the cut down a weight class involving Derek Campos, who simply fought featherweight in his final struggle, and Ryan Scope, who just lost a close struggle against Patricky”Pitbull” Freire.
It’s exciting to see Bellator continue to hold such tournaments as the sport 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 out in trade for superfights and legends fights. But it seems like Coker, Bellator, Paramount and DAZN love the tournaments since it is the next one the promotion will be running over the last couple of years. Now, you have to wonder what the next tournament for Bellator is, and if I had to guess it would be something in the women’s divisions. For now, though, featherweight is getting a fantastic pair of conflicts.
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