The Talk ‘n’ Shoot Podcast is back with their MMA theme, and the latest from our “ShootTalkers” Miguel Iturrate and Mike Davis has them looking at Bellator 2016 and how the year is shaping up for the #2 MMA company. With the shows airing on SpikeTV, Bellator still has a lot of reach and their athletes get visibility, but now more than a year into the “Scott Coker Era”, what direction is the company heading?
Looking At Bellator 2016 – No Direction
Bellator kicks off their 2016 calendar year on the 29th of January when Bellator 148 comes to us from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. The main event was supposed to be UFC veteran Josh Koscheck taking on England’s Paul Daley, but Koscheck had to pull out of the competition. This left Daley facing Andy Uhrich in the main event and it left Bellator with a card largely devoid of any name athletes. Clearly, Bellator does not feel it is necessary to start off a new season with a bang.
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Bellator’s emphasis has been on the February 19th Bellator 149 event scheduled for the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The complete card is not announced yet, but most of the feture fights are, with the Royce Gracie vs Ken Shamrock re-match headlining the event. The other feature bout sees Kimbo Slice return to the Bellator cage to face rival Dhafir Harris.
Several of Bellator’s homegrown talent is slated to appear as well, but fighters like Emmanuel Newton and Linton Vassell are going to play second fiddle to the main events, which are more spectacle than sport.
With the UFC entering a big year, the #1 MMA company in the world has already put on several stand out fights this year and they have blitzed the media with huge fight announcements, while Bellator is relying on main events that consist mainly of retirees.
So is Bellator sick or healthy? Check out the latest Talk ‘n’ Shoot Podcast.
