Just days after the UFC announced that they would be adding GLORY Kickboxing to their Fight Pass streaming services, Bellator announced that they would also be entering the kickboxing market, by launching their new promotion, Bellator Kickboxing.
Bellator president Scott Coker announced today that they will launch Bellator Kickboxing, a kickboxing federation that will partner with Spike TV and Viacom, and fill the void of GLORY Kickboxing.
A new day #BellatorKickboxing 4.16.16 pic.twitter.com/UjjHtWOI0L
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) February 18, 2016
“We know how to do this as good or better than anybody,” Coker said today at a press conference. “Because this kickboxing business is something I’ve been doing for a long time. It’s something that I felt like, we could do it properly. Let’s get our fighters that want to fight in kickboxing, who are fighting MMA right now, and let them fight on both sides of the ledger.”
Bellator Kickboxing is set to debut on April 16, in Torino, Italy, but the promotion also plans to put on several small ‘Road to Bellator’ tournaments that will lead-up to their debut.
The event will be headlined by Melvin Manhoef facing off against Alexandru Negrea in the main event, while Mustapha Haida will take on Karim Ghajii in the semi-main event. The card will be rounded out with veteran kickboxers Raymond Daniels, Kevin Ross, and Denise Kielholtz.
The newest addition to @SpikeSports…. #BellatorKickboxing!! pic.twitter.com/YNOt1vsln4
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) February 18, 2016
Main Photo Credit:
Main Photo Caption: COLUMBUS, OH – MARCH 01: Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker attends the Strikeforce: Tate v Rousey Press Conference on March 1, 2012 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Esther Lin/Forza LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
