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Scott Coker: Bellator Aiming For 24 Events Next Year

August 28, 2015 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas

Scott Coker spoke with MMAjunkie about Bellator’s plans for next year. Check out the highlights:

On Bellator’s fight schedule: “This year, (we’ll have) 16 fights. Next year, we’re going to do about 22 to 24 fights. So we’re going to increase the volume. We’ll go from four ‘tent poll’ events to seven, and one of them will be the ‘Dynamite’ show. It’s kind of developing into a brand of its own. … I think people are going to love it. I think it’s going to get great ratings, and I think we’ll do it every year.”

On doing more international fights: “When I came into the company, I said, ‘We don’t have the roster right now to be doing 24 fights a year. … We need to step back. Then we can ramp up.’ I feel like we’re in a little bit of a groove (now). Next year, we’re also going to do some international fights. I just got back from Tel Aviv in Israel – we have a TV deal there. I was in Italy. I was in London. We have deals in the Middle East. We have a deal in Southeast Asia. There are 140 countries that watch Bellator every time we throw a fight (card). We’re in the process of deciding where we’re going to go, but these international shows are going to be off the hook next year and I’m really excited.”