Scott Coker has a busy weekend with Bellator 231 and 232 coming up, but during the media day in New York City leading up to the events, he hinted at some news for 2020. With the success and well-received Grand Prix events, Coker told the media in attendance that fans can expect a women’s Grand Prix for the coming year. While he would not say the weight class, he said that the tournament will be revealed during the course of the weekend.
One thing he did say was that the Bellator event in Japan is going to be in the Bellator cage. “The ring in Japan is nice, but Bellator has always been about the cage.” However, with Cris Cyborg booked for her fight with Julia Budd in January, when questions came up about the women of Bellator and a grand Prix for them, Coker said, “Absolutely”.
He did not want to say what weight class or with whom, but he added, “Don’t be surprised if that’s our tournament next year.”
Whatever cards Coker is holding for announcements, he seems to want to wait till Friday to give details. One of the things he made known was that after Bellator 232, whoever wins, Lorenz Larkin will be next in line for a shot at the welterweight title. Coker said Larkin is the “clear choice” after his win over Koreshkov. The winner of Bellator 232 will need some time to recuperate but Coker said as long as Larkin keeps performing the way he does, a title shot for him could be on deck for Bellator’s 2020 schedule.
In the last quarter of the year, there are obviously a lot of fights that have to happen but whatever news Coker is holding, it appears all will be known this weekend.
Who would you like to see in a women’s Grand Prix?
