Bellator president Scott Coker expects to promote his May 9 event but will play it by ear.
When it was first revealed that Bellator had no planned events for April, some questioned the decision to have such a gap between Bellator 241 and 242. With the coronavirus pandemic in full swing, the gap may actually work in Bellator’s favor. The promotion ended up postponing Bellator 241, which was planned for March 13. The event was initially going to be held in an empty arena.
Bellator 242 ‘Business As Usual’ Unless Changes Occur
In a statement sent to MMAFighting.com, Coker said that Bellator 242 is still a go unless changes beyond his control interrupt those plans.
“Right now, for May 9, it’s business as usual,” he told MMA Fighting. “If the government extends the self-quarantine, we’ll adjust as needed.”
Coker also commented on how the decision to postpone Bellator 241 hours before the event was scheduled to take place came to be.
“We started hearing rumblings about people feeling uncomfortable, my production staff and fighters included,” Coker said. “Then the president said he was making an emergency announcement, which created more panic in people. They thought they might get locked in and not be able to go home. We told our staff if you don’t feel comfortable, make your way home and be with your family.”
Coker has received praise from fighters and Bellator color commentator “Big” John McCarthy for how he handled the situation. Coker is said to have paid all fighters who made the trip to Connecticut to compete on the Bellator 241 card.
Bellator 242 is scheduled to take place inside the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Currently, L.A. County is under a “Stay-At-Home” order until April 19. Time will tell if that order ends up being extended.
The planned main event for Bellator 242 is a light heavyweight title bout between champion Ryan Bader and Vadim Nemkov. In the co-main event, Gegard Mousasi is set to take on welterweight champion Douglas Lima for the vacant Bellator middleweight championship.
