Sherdog’s Top 10: Bellator MMA Moments

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3. Replacing Rebney

Following Zuffa’s purchase of Strikeforce and its eventual shuttering, many fans and media openly questioned when former promoter Scott Coker would throw his hat back into the ring. When his non-compete clause eventually ran out, speculation ran rampant, and although the mild-mannered Coker did his best to stifle any premature talk, it seemed like only a matter of time before he got back in the game.

That speculation reached a fever pitch as Bellator’s relationships with its talent deteriorated and rumors of Viacom’s dissatisfaction with Bjorn Rebney’s performance flew fast and furious. Bellator 120, the promotion’s first and only effort on pay-per-view, seemed like a last-ditch effort for Rebney to prove his current and future viability with the media conglomerate’s brass. As we have seen, it did not have the desired effect, and Rebney was out shortly thereafter.

Coker is Rebney’s polar opposite. Generally well-liked by managers and fighters for his fairness rather than reviled for his litigiousness, he has a proven track record of promoting intriguing fights that draw excellent ratings -- see Frank Shamrock-Nick Diaz, the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix and Fedor Emelianenko’s move to the United States. More than anything, he knows how to construct fantastically fun cards for maximum visibility while still retaining legitimacy in the eyes of the fans.

Bellator’s future certainly looks bright with Coker at the helm.

Number 2 » This in itself marked a massive change from the promotion’s previous business practices, and together these developments inaugurated its new path as a rival, if not a true competitor, to the UFC.