Bellator Cuts Lightweight Champ Brooks, Strips Minakov Of Heavyweight Title

Bellator is making some crazy moves this afternoon. According to a report via MMAJunkie, the promotion has decided to part ways with its lightweight champion Will Brooks, who is now officially a free agent.

Bellator President Scott Coker had this to say concerning the former lightweight king’s release:

“It was very simple,” Coker said. “Will Brooks’ contract is ending, and we made a decision not to renew it. We’re going to give him a full release, so we’re not going to be in the Will Brooks business any longer.”

Brooks (18-1) was last seen in the Bellator cage successfully defending his 155-pound strap against Marcin Held in a five-round unanimous decision victory in November.

Coker also stated Brooks is a ‘great kid,’ however, he just believes continuing a relationship between the two parties would simply be a waste of both their times:

“Will is a great kid,” he said. “At the end of the day, he’s had some good fights for Bellator, but I just don’t think it’s a fit, and he should move on to the next part of his life.

I think we’re actually doing him a favor by taking this position. Now he can just move on, and we can move on, as well.

“I just think it would be a waste of time to continue this relationship and try to go through the dance of an option period and a matching period. I just think it wouldn’t have worked out anyway, so we decided today to let it go.”

Coker also revealed that the promotion would be stripping heavyweight Vitaly Minakov of his title due to inactivity.

Minakov (17-0) won the Bellator heavyweight title back in 2013 when he knocked out then-champion Alexander Volkov at Bellator 108. The Russian would make only one title defense in 2014 before contract disputes with the promotion held him out of the cage for two years now.

Since his last Bellator bout against Cheick Kongo in April of 2014, Minakov has been keeping busy with three successful finishes in the Russian Eurasia Fight Nights promotion.

Coker also mentioned that a tournament will be held to determine the next Bellator heavyweight titleholder; however,,they will keep Minakov on their roster:

“There have been a lot of things that we were told he was going to do, and so far none of them has happened yet, so we’re going to be moving forward and start looking for the next heavyweight champ,” Coker said.

“We’re going to build a series of fights that will lead to a fight to determine the next heavyweight champion for Bellator. But as far as waiting for Minakov to come back, I think we’ll be happy if he comes back, but if he doesn’t, we’re already moving on with the title.”

Stay tuned to LowKick for the latest on Minakov’s situation with Bellator, as well as where the talented Will Brooks could possibly land next.