Las Vegas, NV — “Isn’t he cute?” That was Dana White’s initial reaction to hearing Scott Coker’s claim that Bellator has the best light heavyweight division in MMA.
Coker’s comments came in the wake of Jon Jones vacating his title just days ago. Leaving the light heavyweight fight between Ryan Bader and Vadim Nemkov Friday with a whole different meaning.
Bellator sports fighters like Bader, Nemkov, Phil Davis, Corey Anderson, Lyoto Machida, Liam McGeary, and Karl Albrektsson in their 205lb weight class. According to Fight Matrix, prior to Jones’ decision to vacate, both promotions had three of the top six light heavyweights in the world. For the UFC, it was Jones, Jan Blachowicz, and Thiago Santos. For Bellator, it was Bader, Nemkov, and Davis. Jones was ranked #1, Bader #2.
Jones vacated. Bader lost to Nemkov. It’s when you get further down the division that things get a bit murkier, but regardless, White doesn’t see any credibility in Coker’s statements.
And forget the idea of a cross-over fight ever happening. “With who?” White questioned.
“Everybody they have in their light heavyweight division, we let go of. He’s got the best light heavyweight division? We let those guys all go,” White said Saturday, responding to Cageside Press at the UFC Vegas 7 post-fight press conference.
“It’s like the f*cking dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. I get it, he’s got to try to f*cking do his thing. I’m not shitting on him, he’s got to try to do his thing,” the UFC President continued. “He’s got to try to sell fights. The way you don’t sell fights is [to say] ‘oh I’ve got the best light heavyweight division in the world’ and everybody that was there was let go from here. It’s a pretty silly statement.”
“What super-fight would I make with Bellator?” he asked. The answer, in White’s mind, is pretty clearly none.
On another topic, White was clearly upbeat about the performances of his own fighters at UFC Vegas 7. The card was ravaged by misfortune, to say the least. Those that did fight gave it their all. Asked if the UFC might just give everyone a bonus, White replied that they would.
“Yes. The answer to that is yes,” White stated. “The bonuses went to Dobson, Jones, Munhoz, and Edgar, but I’m going to write a bunch of checks next week. 100%.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 7 post-fight press scrum with Dana White above.
