UNCASVILLE, Conn. – To Scott Coker, a lot of questions need to be answered before he can give a full assessment of the likelihood of Brock Lesnar fighting in Bellator.
That said, if Lesnar (5-3 MMA) is a free agent (which recent reports state he is), and if he is interested in returning to fighting, Coker thinks Bellator could pull it off – especially with Fedor Emelianenko on his roster.
Since the recent reports surfaced, Coker said he’s reached out to Lesnar’s side to let them know they’re here if he’s contractually free, interested, and wants to talk business.
“The situation with Brock Lesnar is I don’t even know if he’s a free agent,” Coker told MMA Junkie following his CBS Sports press conference Friday. “I don’t even know if he wants to fight. I don’t know what his situation is. I reached out and talked to them and said, ‘Hey, if Brock wants to fight Fedor, we have the guy who could be the fight that never happened.’ We’ll see if that happens. We’ll see if that’s something he’s serious about. Only Brock knows.”
If Lesnar is interested in fighting in Bellator, Coker is confident he could make it happen. While Lesnar would not be a cheap commodity, Coker predicted those high up in Viacom, Showtime, and beyond would see the return.
“If he was available, I’m sure we could make a deal,” Coker said. “I’d go right to our CEO, Bob Bakish, and talk to him about it. I’d say, ‘This is a great opportunity.’ I would bring Stephen Espinoza (and) David Nevins in the mix because it’d probably be a big commitment, but that’s a big piece of business, as well.”
Lesnar has not competed since UFC 200 in July 2016, when he defeated Mark Hunt via unanimous decision. The victory was later overturned after Lesnar tested positive for clomiphene. Shortly thereafter, the UFC announced Lesnar had retired for the second time in six years.
Bellator returns this week with back-to-back events at the “FightSphere.” Bellator 246 takes place Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., with a main card set to air on Paramount and stream on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie. Friday, Bellator 245 goes down in the same venue.
Check out Scott Coker’s full Bellator 245 and Bellator 246 pre-fight news conference in the video above.
Bellator’s Scott Coker says he’s reached out to Brock Lesnar’s team, but many unknowns remain