Scott Coker hints at potential five-round, non-title main events in Bellator

Bellator president Scott Coker hinted at potential five-round, non-title main events taking place in his promotion in the near future.

For the past 10 years, the UFC has had all of its non-title main events set as five-round fights. While fans have gotten used to this change over the past decade and have even embraced it, Bellator has continued to hold three-round non-title main events. Case in point, Saturday’s headliner at Bellator 266 between Phil Davis and Yoel Romero. The fight was only scheduled for three rounds because it was a non-title fight in the Bellator light heavyweight division. Davis dominated all three rounds of the fight and, following the event, Romero indicated that he was upset the fight was not scheduled for five rounds.

Speaking to reporters following Bellator 266, Coker was asked if he would consider booking five-round, non-title main events in Bellator going forward. While in the past Coker has essentially shot the idea down, it seems like the Bellator bossman is at least open to the idea of it. In the wake of Romero complaining that he didn’t have another two rounds to fight with Davis, Coker said he is considering making a permanent change to Bellator where main events would be for five rounds regardless of whether or not a title is on the line. This change has no timeline given, but it appears as though Coker is open to the idea.

“We just didn’t want to make a change,” Coker said (via MMAjunkie.com). “I think maybe at some point we’ll see it. I just know that once we make that decision, it’s not going to go back. I heard that was something that was in his mind, too. I can’t blame him. He’s been fighting five rounds a lot in his career. This was a three-round fight, and maybe next time he’ll be in a five-round fight.”

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