Is Scott Coker fired after PFL's acquisition of Bellator? Reports suggest an offer has been made
It seems Scott Coker could remain within the folds of Bellator MMA after the promotion's sale to the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
Earlier today, it was revealed that the PFL-Bellator saga has ended, and their long-rumored takeover deal was announced. The PFL officially acquired Bellator MMA to become the UFC's unequivocal rival as the world's second-biggest mixed martial arts promotion. Bellator will reportedly continue to operate independently under PFL's new system called the 'Bellator International Champions Series.'
While it was unclear whether Scott Coker would stay back as Bellator's president, it seems the 61-year-old Korean-born American has an offer to do so. ESPN's Brett Okamoto recently took to X to confirm the PFL supremo's proposal to Coker and wrote:
"Also per Donn Davis, the PFL has offered Bellator MMA president Scott Coker as well as his entire team an opportunity to stay on with the brand if they want. Paramount is also still involved in the company through a minority stake."
Scott Coker has not clarified whether he'll be staying at Bellator MMA in an executive role so far. However, the PFL may need Coker's help for their "mega event" in 2024, where PFL champions will go up against Bellator champions.
Dillon Danis slams Scott Coker-led Bellator MMA for mishandling his career
It appears Dillon Danis has no love for Scott Coker or Bellator MMA. The promotion's former welterweight contender recently slammed the organization for using him as a marketing tool for the PFL deal and for mishandling his career.
Bellator MMA released Danis last month, and the jiu-jitsu savant is now a free agent. While 'El Jefe' competed only twice over the course of his career, he was arguably one of Bellator's most well-known fighters thanks to his social media notoriety. While Danis and Coker were on good terms, the jiu-jitsu maestro was asked to compete or move on by the Bellator president earlier this year.
In a recent tweet, Dillon Danis revealed that he had been begging Bellator MMA to release him and accused them of taking a massive share out of his Logan Paul boxing match purse. He wrote:
"[Bellator] took 100k from me to box Logan before being sold, but wouldn't cut me loose when I begged, because they were using me as a selling for this deal to get more money for them. Imagine how I feel. What [clowns]."
Since his release, Danis has been angling for a UFC contract and has been relentless in his efforts to woo Dana White.