Scott Coker confirms Bellator considering bantamweight division for next Grand Prix
Bellator president Scott Coker confirmed that Bellator is considering the bantamweight division for the organization’s next Grand Prix.
Coker is currently holding Bellator’s light heavyweight Grand Prix and featherweight Grand Prix, and two years ago held the welterweight Grand Prix. Coker is a big fan of the tournament format going back to his Strikeforce days and so he is already thinking about what the next tournament in Bellator would be, and it could very well be bantamweight.
Speaking to reporters following Bellator 258 — which saw Sergio Pettis defeat Juan Archuleta to become the new Bellator bantamweight champion — Coker admitted that while the next Grand Prix weight class hasn’t been determined, he is considering bantamweight.
“The Grand Prix hasn’t been determined, but what I will say is if you look at the quality of fighters in this division, it’s stacked. I think of fighters like Magomed Magomedov. I think about the two gentlemen, (Pettis and Archuleta), who just fought tonight. I think about Kyoji Horiguchi coming in,” Coker said (h/t MMAjunkie.com).
“And when you start stacking this division and all the young talent we have coming up, it’s going to be a formidable division. And whether it’s our tournament or not, that’s undetermined. We’re focusing on the light heavyweight tournament right now, and we’ll decide what we do maybe come September.”
A bantamweight Grand Prix makes a lot of sense as the division is chock full of talent. Pettis, the current champ, and the former champ Archuleta would be in it, as would the former champion Horiguchi. An up-and-coming talent like Magomedov would also be a big boost to the tournament, as well. Overall, a 135lbs Grand Prix makes a lot of sense.
Do you think Scott Coker should go with bantamweight for the next Bellator Grand Prix or should another division be used instead?
