Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran recently revealed plans to try his hand at professional boxing this summer – a way to keep active before returning to the MMA cage in the fall. That sparked some concern from some over whether the organization should permit it from one of its title-holders.
Meanwhile, in the midst of the Eddie Alvarez contract dispute, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney came out and said it needed to be made clear that Bellator MMA will “never be a feeder system for the UFC.”
Two sportsnet.ca guest bloggers debate these two topics in our latest point-counterpoint. Cast your votes as to which arguments you like better…
SHOULD CURRAN BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE IN BOXING?
Dueck: Let him do it
I really don’t see a problem with a mixed martial artist focusing on just one discipline. We have seen guys compete in kickboxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu tournaments, etc. I’m not sure how Curran wanting to box is a big deal. If the guy thinks he has what it takes, let him have at it. A lot of times it’s a rude awakening for fighters.
That said, if Curran has a boxing background and brings on a full-time boxing coach, and they feel that he could compete, who are we to say that he can’t? I would expect that he would start off his venture into pro boxing against some lower tier type guys, sort of like what Kimbo Slice did. Transitioning from MMA into pro boxing is a process and it’s better to step into the shallow end instead of jumping into the deep end.
Bellator has allowed its athletes to stay busy if they are not fighting. Although Curran is Bellator’s featherweight champion, he isn’t expected to defend that title until the fall. If King Mo is allowed to be involved in professional wrestling with TNA, Pat Curran should be able to pursue some boxing matches. I have often heard MMA coaches encourage their fighters to compete in kickboxing matches or jiu-jitsu competitions in order to keep their skills sharp and improve that area of their game.
There is nothing in Bellator’s contract that prohibits Curran to do it, so any argument saying he can’t is weak. It’s also some great crossover promotion for Bellator.
Bardsley: It’s a bad for Bellator
Curran has plans to step back in the Bellator cage this fall to defend his title, but apparently only after he tries his hand at pro boxing. While I respect Curran’s competitive zeal, Bellator as an organization should step in to prevent possible injury to one of its signature stars and possible embarrassment to the organization.
This isn’t the first time that one of Bellator’s champions has sought a fight outside the organization. Bantamweight champion Eduardo Dantas was given permission to take a fight in his native in Brazil against what was thought to be a “gimme” opponent in Tyson Nam. Nam blasted Dantas with a first-round KO and Bellator was left with egg on its face. Putting another champion at risk makes little to no sense when you’ve already been burned once in that regard.
Curran may also suffer an injury that could keep him off the Spike TV broadcasts. With a dearth of top-level stars, there is no conceivable upside to losing one of its champions to an injury while he was competing in another sport. UFC president Dana White doesn’t even like it when Donald Cerrone goes wakeboarding, why should Bjorn Rebney allow Curran to box? Bellator should protect its investment in Curran and not allow him to potentially lose or worse, get his brain scrambled.
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WILL BELLATOR ALWAYS BE A UFC FEEDER SYSTEM?
Dueck: It’s the reality
Rebney says that Bellator will never be a feeder system for the UFC. God bless him for being that delusional. If you are a MMA organization and you are not the UFC, you are essentially a feeder system for the “Big Show.” It doesn’t matter how much money Viacom puts into the company, every fighter will always look at Bellator as a stepping stone, just like they did Strikeforce, WEC and other organizations in the past.
All you have to do is say the name Eddie Alvarez, and that should be proof enough that even the most talented fighter on the Bellator roster wants to be in the UFC. I understand the idea behind Rebney saying that Bellator is not a feeder system; you always want to angle your business as a standalone company, but ultimately guys who are successful in that organization are not going to be happy just being a Bellator champion. In the end, they will look at that belt as a way to one day cash in and enter the Octagon.
If a fighter is successful in Bellator he can make some money and showcase why he should be in the UFC. So essentially being the No. 2 promotion in the world is also a feeder system, no matter how you want to paint it. Bellator does a great job, and they can write up their contracts any way they want, but every professional fighter wants a shot at the UFC because if they are extremely talented and competitive, they will want to test that against some of the best in the world. Unfortunately the best are fighting in the UFC… not Bellator.
Bardsley: Bellator can compete
Bellator in many ways is “the little promotion that could.” Since its inception in 2009, it has found ways to grow in exposure and viewership and maintain a profit. The company has grown from TV on ESPN Deportes to Fox Sports Net to MTV2 now to its home on cable heavyweight Spike TV — the same network that launched UFC into the public consciousness ion 2005.
With a strong North American broadcast partner, and an ownership stake being held by a billion-dollar company such as Viacom, Bellator has the resources in place to pose a legitimate threat to the UFC. There’s a reason White keeps his eye on Bellator’s TV numbers.
The other key component is Bellator’s leadership. Its CEO Rebney is fond of talking about making decisions for the company based on Excel spreadsheets; he is a smart businessman who puts the health of his company ahead of any vanity decisions. He has also shown a willingness to fight Zuffa to keep his talent. The Eddie Alvarez situation proves that Rebney is not content to sit in second place and watch the stars he created leave the company.
With Rebney at the helm and Viacom backing him, Bellator may be the one company in the current MMA landscape that can offer genuine competition to the UFC.
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Trevor Dueck writes for MMASucka.com and 24 Hours Vancouver. Follow him on Twitter @tdueckMMA.
Carlin Bardsley is a writer for MMASucka.com and the host of a daily MMA radio show on NextSportStar.com. Follow him on Twitter @CarlinBardsley.
