Bellator president Scott Coker rules out move for Anderson Silva after UFC release
It was previously reported that Anderson Silva was parting ways with the company after what he said would be his last fight in UFC.
Anderson Silva fought Uriah Hall at UFC Vegas 12 last month and lost via knockout. Before the bout, he said it would be his final UFC fight, and after the bout, he posted a heartfelt 'goodbye' message to the sport and his fans on social media.
Amid speculation about where Anderson Silva could go next, Bellator president Scott Coker made it clear that it will not be his promotion.
Scott Coker not interested in signing Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva still had one fight left on his UFC contract, but Dana White made it abundantly clear after the Uriah Hall fight that he would not offer The Spider another fight. In fact, he regretted going against his better judgment and offering him the last one.
So, many figured that Anderson Silva would be a free agent soon, and Bellator, being the other top name in MMA promotions, would be eager to pick him up. However, Scott Coker and Bellator has no such plans.
ESPN's Ariel Helwani tweeted that he had asked Scott Coker if he was interested in Anderson Silva post his UFC release.
Scott Coker said that he had immense respect for the Middleweight legend, but he was content with the current Bellator roster at the moment.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Anderson Silva, one of my favorite fighters & one of the greatest of all time, but I’m happy with our roster & the direction Bellator is heading."
Scott Coker had a similar answer regarding the matter to MMA Junkie as well. Earlier this month, answering a series of questions ahead of Bellator 252, Scott Coker said that he did not give it a lot of thought, but he was happy with the fighters Bellator has at the moment.
"I have a lot of respect for him. He’s definitely one of the greatest fighters in the history of mixed martial arts. I really haven’t thought about it, but I think I’m happy with the way our roster is heading and the fighters that we have now. I think that’s my statement on that."
With Bellator out of the picture, there is a possibility that Anderson Silva could be signed up by RIZIN, ONE Championship, or PFL.