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| Credit Bellator MMA |
Bellator MMA, a poorly managed, aging product which was quickly losing the interest of fans. The over-used tournaments, fights failing to live up to the hype, losing the respect of fighters, these were what was wrong with the promotion under then-CEO Bjorn Rebney.
Fast forward five months, and now the fold is much more interesting. Appointed in June, Scott Coker; the former Strikeforce President, has tried to change that perception, and make MMA, specifically Bellator, 'cool' for the first time in its history.
The truth is, yes, the tournament concept is what made them different, and for a period of time it worked. It was good to see title challengers being created in a legitimate and formulated concept, but there came a point where it stagnated their growth.
The layoff period for their world title fighters was one of the biggest annoyances. Having to wait for the spring, summer and autumn tournaments to come full circle, meant a champion would fight three times a year, as seen with lightweight champion Michael Chandler in 2013.
Not to mention, the hindrance tournaments created. When Bellator signed "King Mo" Muhammed Lawal in 2013, instead of being given a title shot on immediate debut; which you could argue was merited, he instead was entered in the season eight light-heavyweight bracket, and the rest is 'spinning back fist' history.
The seasonal, televised format was another problem with the old Bellator. With a number of fans complaining when the UFC puts on four straight Saturday events, having a show every week for three months straight definitely didn't help Bellator's cause.
With the problems stacking up, and no sign of relief anytime soon, majority shareholders Viacom gave Bjorn the shake and brought in a man they hoped could legitimize their $50m investment, Mr. Coker.
After almost half a year on board, Bellator 131 was the starting climax that fans were hoping Coker would bring over. 1.8m viewers tuned in to watch Tito Ortiz take on Stephan Bonnar, two fighters who signified the boom era of UFC and MMA in the United States.
However there were other factors in place that helped draw Bellator's biggest rating ever, and Spike's first top drawing MMA show since the UFC. There was the right balance on the show of something for everyone, you had the main event for the casual MMA fan, the co-main event lightweight title bout between Michael Chandler and Will Brooks for the hardcore fan and Joe Schilling vs Melvin Manhoef for the lover of pure carnage.
The show felt fresh and revitalising for an MMA viewer who has been stuck with the same format for over a decade. Elements of Pride, Strikeforce and even the old UFC were transmitted Saturday night, the production level was phenomenal, and the Cokertron; video screens, gave MMA that much needed kick into the 21st century. A MMA show that was actually fun to watch? Somewhat of a rarity in the modern era of the sport.
I'm not saying Coker has got it 100% right over at Bellator, there are still issues he needs to address such as creating news stars and stability so that every show can pull in near two million viewers, but he's moving in the right direction. Changing to a monthly format in 2015 is one of his best decisions, less cards but with more importance, the first quarter of next year is filled with some great fights, Patrcio Pitbull vs Daniel Straus, Paul Daley vs Douglas Lima just to name a few.
2015 will be a very important year for Bellator, and if they get things right, it could be their most successful yet, as Coker looks to close ground on the UFC.
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