Scott Coker, the CEO of Bellator, is optimistic that he can come to an agreement with ex-UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou about making a return to combat sports.
Ever since Ngannou (17-3) left the UFC after having failed to renew his contract, he has flirted with the idea of making his debut in boxing.
He has already courted several names in the heavyweight division, including Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and even Deontay Wilder.
And now Bellator is just one of a whole host of parties interested in working with Ngannou. This would not be out of the realm of possibilities since Bellator could provide an amicable relationship.
Bellator’s lead company, Viacom, has a combination of MMA and Showtime boxing under its branches. And that is why Cooker is convinced that an agreement can be made in light of current talks.
Scott Coker met with free agent Francis Ngannou this week, and fighting MMA for Bellator as well as boxing for Showtime were part of the pitch.
Full story: https://t.co/lXBQTlxVFR pic.twitter.com/jbVEejPe5R
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) February 25, 2023
In his comments to MMA Junkie, he said: “From my perspective, then you talk about signing him to Bellator, we’re also talking about having a conversation with him and Stephen (Espinoza), which happened earlier this week, about getting into Showtime pay-per-view boxing, too.
“I think we have a great company to offer him both sides of the combat sports business that he would like to, which is fight MMA and also box. I think we’re a great fit. There’s ongoing discussions, so we’ll see what happens.”