Bellator president Scott Coker proceeded on Ariel Helwani’s ESPN MMA Show on Monday and revealed that his marketing is thinking about conducting a 16-man featherweight grand prix tournament. According to Coker, the tournament will begin operating in October and will feature 16 of their best featherweights in Bellator, including fighters in the division as well as bantamweights moving up and possibly even lightweights moving . The featherweight championship follows in the footsteps of the promotion’s heavyweight grand prix, which only saw Ryan Bader crowned champion, and the welterweight championship, which is still continuing.
Coker advised Helwani he needs the very first round of eight fights in the championship to take place on a single night or on back-to-back nights at the autumn. He also said he wants the tournament to complete within a year, which practically mirrors the heavyweight and welterweight tournament timelines.
As far as that will be one of the 16 fighters at the tournament, so far no one has been announced, however, Coker did state he wants Bellator featherweight champion Patricio”Pitbull” Freire for a part of the championship game. Pitbull is taking on Michael Chandler in May for its Bellator lightweight name, so if he will participate in the tournament he will be the champion, meaning his belt will be at stake in each round of this tournament like Rory MacDonald’s welterweight title is on the line every time he fights.
So far as some other featherweights that are expected to maintain the championship, here are a few who seem to be close locks: Growing prospect AJ McKee; top rival Henry Corrales; former champ Daniel Straus; former champ Pat Curran; former top prospect Aaron Pico; former name contender Emmanuel Sanchez; and former UFC fighter Sam Sicilia.
The fact there are not 16 featherweights means that bantamweights are also encouraged to move up, and Coker already said that James Gallagher and Darrion Caldwell will be asked to take part in the championship. I’d also anticipate Ricky Bandejas and Juan Archuleta to be asked, as well. So far as lightweights go, there could potentially be a few fighters who could make the cut down a weight class involving 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 exciting to see Bellator continue to hold these tournaments as the game of MMA was build on the championship format. The advertising’s bedrock back at the Bjorn Rebney days has been the tournaments but when Coker initially came in they began to go away in exchange for superfights and legends fights. But it feels like Coker, Bellator, Paramount and DAZN adore the tournaments since this is the next one the advertising will be running over the previous two years. Now, you have to wonder what another tournament for Bellator will be, and if I had to guess that it would be something in the women’s branches. For the time being, however, featherweight is getting a great pair of conflicts.
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