Scott Coker believes Bellator has the best fighters in the world in nearly each weight class: “These guys are exceptional athletes.”
Bellator MMA CEO Scott Coker has stated that his promotion has the best fighters in the world of MMA in essentially each weight class.
It is undeniable that Bellator has some truly elite fighters on their roster. Perhaps most impressive is Yaroslav Amosov, who defended his welterweight title this past weekend against Logan Storley. Amosov looked genuinely incredible, winning just about every minute of the five-round contest. Considering the Ukranian now holds a record of 27-0, there is an argument to be made that he could be the top 170lb fighter in the world right now.
His closest competition would likely come in the form of Leon Edwards or Kamaru Usman, who are set to resolve their trilogy at UFC 286.
However, speaking to the press at Bellator 291, Scott Coker made the claim that his promotion has the very best of the best in each weight class, not just 170 lbs. He stated:
“I think this is the best roster we’ve ever had… If you look at a 205-pound weight class, I think we have the best fighter in the world. 185, we have the best fighter in the world. 170, we have the best fighter in the world. We could fight anybody, any of those, and even the lighter weights, I think ’45, I think ’55. Then whoever wins this tournament, to me, would be the best lightweight in the world. I mean, that’s how I feel.”
“And to have to be able to say that after five, six years of building this roster, it feels really good because these guys are exceptional athletes. And when I first came here, it wasn’t like that. This was not the Bellator it is today. It was a very small organization, small show, and it’s come a long way. And now we’re on a good roll.” (H/T MMA Junkie)
These are bold claims from Coker, especially considering the depth of the UFC’s current roster. Promotions such as the PFL and ONE Championship also have a number of athletes competing at the very top of their respective divisions right now.
Bellator’s current list of champions is as follows:
Heavyweight: Ryan Bader.
Light Heavyweight: Vadim Nemkov.
Middleweight: Johnny Eblen.
WelterweightL Yaroslav Amosov.
Lightweight: Usman Nurmagomedov.
Featherweight: Patricio Freire.
Bantamweight: Sergio Pettis.
Women’s Featherweight: Cris Cyborg.
Women’s Flyweight: Liz Carmouche.
