After proclaiming Bellator 131 the “rebirth” of the promotion ahead of Saturday night’s event, Scott Coker can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the event could be considered a success on several fronts.
“I think we hit a nice homerun,” Coker told BloodyElbow.com.
As an event that went head-to-head with the UFC’s highly anticipated PPV debut in Mexico, as well as World Series of Fighting’s biggest event to date, ‘homerun’ may be a slight exaggeration, particularly since the television rating are yet to be released.
However, what was immediately noticeable at the beginning of the Bellator main card broadcast on Spike TV was the significant increase in production value. Following a well-designed introduction, fans were treated to an array of elaborate fighter entrances that would make one yearn for the days of Pride FC.
“I think the production was better than any event that I’ve ever been associated with, even in Strikeforce,” said Coker. “We had some great openings in Strikeforce and great production level but this was just on a whole different level. And I think the fights delivered.”
Another notable characteristic of the Bellator 131 event was the audible crowd in attendance. Apart from adding to the overall ambiance of the event, the crowd helped the promotion break their previous gate and attendance record.
While Coker did not have the exact figures, he confidently added that the event had “the highest gate in Bellator’s history, and the highest attendance as well.”
According to Coker, the apparent enhancements to the Bellator broadcast highlights Viacom’s commitment to further developing the brand over the coming years.
“As you can see, we are committed, Spike TV is committed, and we are gonna (sic) go for it. I’d say this is the rebirth of Bellator and we are just going to grow from here.”
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