The UFC blew some minds when they announced that they were implementing accident insurance for their fighters. Hell, some people even suggested that this would impact talent acquisition going forward. The UFC’s move put some pressure on other promotions to step up their game. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney says that they’ve been looking into getting accident insurance for quite some time. Via MMA Fighting:
“I can tell you I’ve been reading all of the articles and all the spokespersons for the UFC have said that it’s been a long and exhaustive process,” Rebney said, “and there were very few carriers that were willing to execute on it, there were very few people that were willing to provide the insurance that they were seeking.
“I can tell you first hand that I know that to be true because we have been looking for alternatives on that front for over a year ourselves. It’s not an easy policy to obtain, it’s not easy to put into motion, but I think it’s great for the sport; I think it’s great for the fighters. It’s something that we are going to continue to look at, and I say kudos for the UFC for pulling it off.”
It’s up to each individual person if they believe that Rebney and company had really been looking into accident insurance prior to the UFC’s move. The real value is in if a promotion like Bellator can pull off the same kind of deal. Not because it matters if they can “compete” with the UFC. But because the more fighters are able to train without the worry of an injury crippling them financially, the better.