Scott Coker anticipates February restart for Bellator with 22-26 events in 2021

MMA News

Scott Coker anticipates February restart for Bellator with 22-26 events in 2021

The Bellator operation will continue to hum along this year with roughly two dozen events on tap for the organization.

After a 2020 campaign that rolled back on the number of fight cards due to a hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Bellator president Scott Coker is looking to have a busy year.

The exact number of events has not been determined, Coker said. He’s keeping his options flexible while COVID-19 vaccines begin to roll out and certain regions loosen pandemic guidelines. But no matter how it shakes out, the goal is to have more cards than the year prior.

“We’ll probably still produce our 22 to 26 events,” Coker told MMA Junkie. “That’s what we’re thinking in the ballpark, then some fights in Europe as things open up. That’s kind of the thought process.”

Coker said his perfect world would see fans attending Bellator events again in volume by the end of 2021. That’s a slightly more long-term ambition, though, and the current discussions revolve around when this year’s schedule will kick off.

A firm date for Bellator’s 2021 debut hasn’t been confirmed, but Coker said the goal is to see at least one event in February.

“As far as starting, we’re probably thinking sometime in February,” Coker said. “We haven’t locked a date down yet, but that’s probably what we’re thinking in February to launch with our first fight of 2021.”

Scott Coker anticipates February restart for Bellator with 22-26 events in 2021