'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Bellator President Scott Coker has retorted to Dana White for claiming that current Bellator fighters who used to compete in the UFC were let go by the premier MMA promotion in the world.
Back in August, Coker claimed that Bellator has the best light heavyweight division compared to all other mixed martial arts promotions in the world. Coker’s comments came following the news of former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones vacating his title in order to move up to heavyweight. Coker believes that now that Jon Jones isn't in the light heavyweight division anymore, Bellator has the best 205-pound roster in MMA presently.
“Listen, with Jon Jones moving up to heavyweight, I think we have the best 205-pound weight class on the planet with Bader, Gegard wants to move up, we have (Lyoto) Machida, and we have Corey Anderson now. We have a bunch of killers in that weight class. To me, we have a great roster of fights for him (Corey Anderson) – and even Phil Davis.”
Dana White and Scott Coker exchange verbal jibes
Coker's comments clearly irked UFC President Dana White, who responded to the claim by taking a jibe at Coker along with the ex-UFC athletes competing under the Bellator banner.“Everybody they have in their light heavyweight division we let go of. He has the best light heavyweight division?” Dana White scoffed. “We let all of those guys go. It’s the dumbest f*cking thing I’ve ever heard.”
Ahead of tonight’s ‘Bellator 245: Davis vs. Machida 2’ event, Scott Coker spoke to MMAJunkie and re-affirmed his stance on which promotion has the best light heavyweight division. In the process, Coker also termed Dana White a "liar" for saying that Bellator signed UFC discards.
“We do have the best 205-pound division on the planet, bar none. When you think about the fighters that we have, tonight, Phil and Machida, then you have (Vadim) Nemkov. I think Gegard (Mousasi) will eventually move up to 205 because he told me he wants to move up to 205. That group has become a really healthy, robust division for us. Ryan Bader and Phil Davis, or anyone that’s come over from the UFC, they’ve come over in free agency. It’s not that they come over here just because they got kicked out. That’s a lie. The truth is they were free agents and they wanted to shop their (worth) and we offered them a better deal so they came over here.”
