A lot of fighters want that freedom to have their own sponsorships. When you think about it, how do you make independent contractors wear a uniform? That just seems strange to me.

Scott Coker

Categorized in : You Me Think Freedom

Martial arts is self-growth. It's artistic impression. It's self-defense... it doesn't have any place in politics.

self-defense any place politics

One of the most popular MMA fighters ever, Kimbo was a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that transcended the sport.

mma ever most personality

When I think about the skill level of Andrey Koreshkov, he is at the top of his game and at an elite level.

skill top game think

I always love meeting other promoters.

meeting other always love

I grew up as a martial artist, and I'm still a martial artist at heart.

still up artist heart

All my fighters know I'm a fan of theirs. They know I think of them as the stars and that we will facilitate in the building of their stock.

think know building stars

When I first came to Bellator, I wanted to take it back to what we accomplished at Strikeforce and look at the next generation. So we signed the Aaron Picos of the world and put them in our development programme to nurture them.

generation back look world

Great fights means great TV ratings.

ratings means tv great

Sport is made to be live. You can't watch something three hours later already knowing the results; it's not the same experience.

live you experience three

I love big events. It reminds me of the old days, when I knew everyone on the fight card, and it wasn't just one fight.

everyone fight me love

I think boxing is on the rise because of what Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor did. I think they captured the time and made boxing cool again.

cool think boxing time

I think the MMA and boxing are different audiences. I think it's a different intrigue. There's no reason you can't be a fan of both; why does it have to be one or the other?

think you boxing reason

Martial arts is something I studied since I was 6 years old.

old something martial-arts years

I've taught martial arts to many children, from 5 years old and up - there's character development, there's respect, discipline, perseverance.

respect discipline character children

To say martial arts, or the combative form - mixed martial arts - is not an art form is incorrect.

say martial-arts form art

I don't think that 25-year-olds should be fighting 40-year-olds.

think fighting should

You get a world-class athlete like Hershel Walker, who was a Heisman trophy winner and did some amazing things, but he had a martial arts background. He did kickboxing. He had a combat sports background. It was just rekindling that training and that martial arts workout ethic. He got back into it and did quite well.

you winner training sports

You can't put an age on power.

put you power age

I'm not a union guy in the sense that I know a lot about how they operate. But I know fighters. They are individual athletes. This is not a team sport. I think it's going to be hard to say, 'Hey, do you mind not fighting on Saturday and walking around the arena with a picket sign instead?' I just don't see it.

you team mind walking

I'm not thinking of any other leagues. I'm really not. I'm thinking of what can I do to move Bellator forward. I'm thinking of what we need to fix, what fighters we should sign, where we can expand internationally.

forward need where thinking