Bellator president Scott Coker plans to speak with free agent Anthony Pettis.
Former UFC and WEC lightweight champion Pettis (24-10) ended his UFC contract last weekend with a unanimous decision on Alex Morono at the UFC Fight Night 183. “Showtime” announced that it was officially testing the market and pointed out that its UFC tenure is likely to be a thing of the past.
Like any well-known free agent, Coker plans to explore Pettis ’potential to bring it into the fold. However, he said some elements need to be evaluated, from the financial side to potential matchups and, more importantly, a judgment of what Pettis still has to offer at the age of 33 and with almost 14 years in the game. .
“I’m sure my boys are already talking to their camps, and we’ll have a chat,” Coker told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “A level (of interest) is sometimes based on the business contract because there has to be a certain value based on the price, and in fact that’s what it comes to: Is the value worth what we are thinking of the fights we can put together for him?
“It really seems like what’s left in the gas tank? But we will definitely have that conversation, and we usually have that conversation with all the agents for free, whether we sign them or not. We may do the same with Pettis if we have not already done so. “
With the ability to fight at both light weight and welter weight, it looks like Pettis could be a useful addition to a Bellator roster. His younger brother Sergio Pettis has already signed the promotion and is expected to challenge Juan Archuleta for the bantamweight belt in 2021. Coker said his team will run over the idea of being signing the senior Pettis and admitted there could be a fight that raises interest. .
When it was suggested by the possibility that Pettis would join Bellator for a show with his flashy rival Michael Page, Coker liked the idea. However, he reiterated that it comes down to whether everything makes sense for both sides.
“(Pettis vs. MVP) it would be a lot of fun,” Coker said. “That would be amazing. We’ll see. We only have so many slots on TV. We’ll get between 22 and 26 fights (in 2021), and everything will be mapped sometime in the next three weeks and we’ll see it. We’ll have a conversation and see where it goes. “