Scott Coker hopes to construct stars again like in Bellator, Strikeforce

The Bellator Era of Scott Coker’s profession officially is within the rearview mirror, however the MMA pioneer is looking back on his run there with pride.

Coker took the reins at Bellator in 2014 just after his Strikeforce deal ended. That deal was in place after he sold the promotion he founded and it was folded into the UFC. In late 2023, Bellator was bought by the PFL, and Coker didn’t make the transition to the brand new company.

“The chance was there,” Coker recently told MMA Junkie Radio, but he selected to get back to his entrepreneurial roots and can run a brand new event series called Fight Night on the Tech, which premieres May 18 in San Jose, Calif. Coker might be an executive producer and can work alongside former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez.

He said developing young fighters is something he was most happy with from his time in Bellator, and likes the thought of doing that again.

“Once I first got there, the roster was, that they had (Patricio) ‘Pitbull’ (Freire) – he was a terrific fighter; his brother (Patricky) … that they had a pair, possibly three or 4 those that I’d say were at that level. But I remember sitting down with Bob Cook. … I showed him the roster once I got here over and I said, ‘What do you’re thinking that?’ And he says to me, ‘Oh man, Coker, you’ve got lots of work to do.’

“Right. So I said, OK, that’s fair. So we’ll go sign Aaron Pico. We’ll go discover A.J. McKee. … I said, ‘Man, this guy – he’s something. I believe he’s special, and I believe that we should always work together.’ So I made a deal along with his dad, after which we picked out certain fighters that we’re going to speculate in and grow.”

Patricio Freire was a two-division champion for Bellator at featherweight and light-weight and stays its 145-pound champion. He puts his title on the road Friday at Bellator Champions Series: Belfast, the primary in the brand new iteration of Bellator events under PFL ownership. Patricky Freire was a light-weight champion. McKee held the featherweight title, as well.

Coker drew comparisons to the fighters who became homegrown stars under his watch at Strikeforce – all of whom went on to title-winning and Hall of Fame-worthy careers within the UFC.

“Look what’s happening now. Now they’re all becoming stars of their very own right,” he said. “To me, that’s something I’m really happy with. We did it in Strikeforce with Daniel (Cormier) and Ronda (Rousey), (Tyron Woodley), Luke Rockhold, Miesha Tate, Amanda Nunes began with us. (Rafael) ‘Feijao’ (Cavalcante) began with us. I mean, it’s just like the who’s-who of MMA.”