Bellator
Bellator's Scott Coker says "the phone's been ringing" since UFC/Reebok numbers were released
May 11, 2015 - 1:00:24 PM Bellator's Scott Coker says "the phone's been ringing" since UFC/Reebok numbers were released

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The figures released by the UFC last week for their apparel deal with Reebok have caused some serious discontent on the roster. A number of fighters currently on the roster have expressed significant issues with the payscale as it stands, and it appears some are already looking for a way out.

In an interview with Luke Thomas at MMAFighting.com, Bellator MMA President Scott Coker says they've already been getting phone calls from UFC contracted fighters, but aren't willing to engage in talks until those fighters are actually free to do so.

"You'd have to talk to UFC to see how they're going to handle [the pay disparity for some fighters], but I'm sure they're going to do something. The fighters are not going to be happy if it's taking out $150-$200,000 a year in sponsorships from their pocket," Coker commented. "I think they're going to have a situation on their hands that they're going to have to deal with.

"I will tell you this, the phone's been ringing. I just tell people, 'Listen. We're not going to engage in any kind of dialogue with you on any level unless you're a free agent. When you're free, give me a call.' ... A lot of questions are, 'What's your policy on sponsorships?' I say, 'Look, I can't engage in any kind of conversation with you guys. When you're free, give me a call.' But the phone's definitely been ringing."

Coker explained Bellator's current stance on sponsors as well, saying that it's all fair game so long as there aren't any conflicts with the organization's main sponsors.

"I can tell you I feel with our fighters, this is an individual sport," Coker said. "The fighters in our league are going to have the ability to get their own sponsors as long as there's no conflict with our corporate sponsors that support Bellator.

"That's the only limitation. We don't have any sponsorship tax on our athletes. As long as they don't conflict with our main sponsors - like Miller, like Dave & Buster's, Monster Energy Drink, there's a couple others - then everything else is fine. If they can go negotiate a deal that pays them a million dollars a year, that's up to them. They're independent contractors. They have their own ability to go make those deals."

Penick's Analysis: One of the biggest issues right now with the way the UFC is handling things is that they're restricting the fighters like employees while wanting to hold them as independent contractors. That's the part that has to be challenged. Fighters don't have the protections of being employees, but they're increasingly losing things that would normally be available to them were they actually independent contractors. That's where they need to fight, that's where lawsuits need to come into play, because the current suits being brought against the UFC aren't attacking that aspect of the situation. As for Bellator, they're going to be a more attractive option to fighters who are feeling consistently more and more restrained by the UFC, and if the UFC does nothing about the current complaints for this system, fighters may look to fight out their contracts to go elsewhere.