SAN JOSE, Calif. – Scott Coker isn’t sure if a deal with Francis Ngannou will work out.
Coker expressed interest in signing free agent Ngannou (17-3) after he parted ways with the UFC, and thinks Bellator is a great fit for the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Ngannou made it clear that boxing is a priority for him, and although Coker knows Bellator could provide him that flexibility due to its partnership with Showtime, Coker says negotiations are yet to hit a serious point.
“My guys have been talking to Francis,” Coker told MMA Junkie and other reporters following Thursday’s Bellator 292 ceremonial weigh-ins. “I know they met. I know Stephen (Espinosa) met with him on (Showtime) Boxing. I’ve always said that I think it would be a perfect fit for him because he could do boxing, he could do MMA. But I don’t think that there’s anything close to a deal being presented back and forth. Let’s see what happens.”
Coker, who has helped build the careers of prospects such as A.J. McKee from the ground up, admits he isn’t sure if it’s worth investing a large amount in Ngannou to compete for Bellator in MMA.
“But I’m not sure that we’re going to be in that business on the MMA side,” Coker added. “Maybe for the boxing side, it might work out. But to me, it’s like it has to be equitable for everybody, and that’s how I feel. We have a pretty robust purse amount every year and we can spread that around and we can take a lot of that purse and pay our guys and sign other fighters and keep building divisions. So to me, I would say it’s 50-50 at this point.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 292.