When we were kids my friends and I would spend more hours than we should debating who would win epic fantasy battles. I am sure you know the kind of scraps I mean. I don’t refer to your mid tier fights to fill fight cards. I mean the immortal battles of Good vs Evil.
Why I Want To Be Friends With Scott Coker
Long before we had Alien vs Predator on the big screen, me and my friends had mapped out every possible outcome and every angle and settled on a victor. Driven by comic book crossovers and video games we had picked them all and had backed our favourites; Robocop vs The Terminator, Godzilla vs King Kong and Mike Tyson vs Rocky Balboa to name but a few. These were our super fights and generated hours and hours of exciting debate. It was gripping stuff even when it was always unlikely anyone would actually emerge victorious.
We All Grow Up
I am now a responsible adult, or so they keep telling me, but my mind still wonders to the confrontations of the legends. I often quietly debate the results from the ultimate super fights.
I think the idea of combatants who could actually emulate the moves displayed by on-screen heroes like Arnie and Stallone battling each other for supremacy drew me to MMA in the first place. Tito Ortiz defeating Ken Shamrock in the early hours on Bravo TV showed me the door. On the other side was a world of super fights. You could see Wrestlers vs Kickboxers and JuJitsu practitioners vs Judoka. It was like the Van Damme movie ‘Bloodsport’ only it supplied you with a monthly fix. I was hooked.
Now the sport of Mixed Martial Arts has come a long way and many of the characters that helped establish the sport have either retired or enjoyed better days. The sports largest promoter, the UFC has gone mainstream with a national TV deal and a sports apparel sponsorship.
The super fight has become the super hype. Every week we are expected to show our support for this giants among men. The comic book esque larger than life characters now blend into the background.
Film has re-emerged as the leader in dream super fights for children and bored adults alike, Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice is an example of one forthcoming battle. But within the industry there is still hope. The sport of MMA hasn’t sailed quietly into the night just yet. We have kindred spirit in these parts and he just happens to be the president of the second largest MMA promotion on the planet.
Scott Coker Just Gets Us
If anyone would’ve felt at home in the debates conducted by me and my friends over bottles of Dandelion and Burdock and a pack of Haribo Starmix then it is Scott Coker. Scott Coker is the current president of Bellator MMA and former CEO of popular fight promotions company Strikeforce.
Now if space, time, money and reality were no barriers, then you can bet that Bellator MMA would feature a headlining bout between Wolverine Vs the T1000 and that aforementioned Godzilla vs King Kong as the co main event. Scott Coker is a fight fan. He values the entertainment of the fight probably as much as the fight itself and who can blame him. I can imagine him sat with a gathering of figures from all the different classic movies and games and pit them in fights to the death on his desk. Could Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles defeat Slimer from Ghostbusters?
Since his reign as president has begun we have already enjoyed Ortiz vs Bonnar and Shamrock vs Kimbo. Now go ahead and laugh. Go ahead and say these aren’t super fights. These are past their prime fighters robbing a buck. The two million faithful who tuned in to see Ortiz vs Bonnar certainly didn’t mind that this fight was maybe 5-6 years too late, they just tuned in and enjoyed the spectacle of The American Psycho vs The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.
And you know what? It was entertaining. It did feel special. In style it was a tribute to the glory days of Pride Fighting Championships. The marquee names of the former UFC draws still shone brightly for all to see. And whilst you could argue that this ‘Tentpole’ Bellator event felt more like a tribute to the ones who came before rather than having an original and individual outlook, it is tough to argue that it wasn’t a resounding success for everyone involved, excluding maybe Stephan Bonnar. Maybe the other promotions should take stock.
Past Their Primes But Still Stars
So how do you follow this up? You go further back of course. You dive into the history books, the stuff of fairy tales and bed time stories, bare knuckles and broken bones. You bring back Ken Shamrock. Sure he isn’t the World’s Most Dangerous Man anymore but his name ignites the passion of hundreds of thousands of blue-collar workers that grew up knowing at one point he was and maybe, just maybe they can catch a glimpse of that former glory on prime time T.V. For free.
Now Shamrock might be more Terminator Genysis than Terminator 2: Judgement Day but that didn’t stop 2.1 million people (some websites claim 2.3 million) tuning in to watch the old gunslinger go toe to toe with everyone’s favourite backyard brawler Kimbo Slice. The event was dubbed ‘Unfinished Business’ as the two were scheduled to meet ten years prior but an injury to Shamrock forced him to withdraw and the rest of the day’s events secured a place in MMA history forever.
While Kimbo Slice never made a full recovery from that day he is still widely known as a recognizable name and face with an army of adoring fans that believe any form Slice is still a threat to anyone willing to throw down. And so once again the “Most Dangerous Man in the World” and the most dangerous man at the barbecue squared off at another Bellator classic.
Now you can hate that these two old timers who are past their prime are stealing opportunities better served to developing talent and future champions. The reality is that fighters like Michael Chandler and Will Brooks, although hugely talented, don’t yet resonate with viewers as the Titos and the Kimbos of the world do.
From The Old Comes The New
These mainstream names from the freak show era of MMA can still bring eyes to Bellator and they can build new stars off this. Scott Coker knows that the kid inside us all is dying to see who can win these ridiculous spectacles. Even if the serious MMA fan in us pretends that we aren’t even curious and that it’s an insult to the hard-working men and women training in gyms around the world waiting for that big promotion phone call.
The future is bright for Bellator MMA. We have Tito fighting for the belt. If he wins then the promotion has an already established name and personality to utilise. If he loses then current champion Liam McGeary will be seen by probably a million plus people as the young upstart they can begin to follow and become invested in. That is the nature of the MMA beast. The old become food for the young.
And so I say let us raise a glass to Scott Coker and his team. Long has the entertainment value in MMA been lacking and the man seems to be on a personal mission to bring it back. It might not be Batman vs Superman but it certainly does re-ignite the passions for many casual fans who want to see the occasional brawl and not have to invest hours and hours each week consuming the MMA product. This was never about the hardcore fans, it was always about something for everyone. Like a popcorn fuelled, eye candy, blockbuster movie, this is a guilty pleasure, lets just enjoy it. Scotty book us another…
