Dana White On UFC's Next Big Star, Scott Coker Talks Bellator's Future, UFN 43 Weigh-In Results
- When UFC president Dana White thinks about the "next big thing" in MMA, he has to look no further than his current heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez. White recently told Yahoo! Sports that he feels Velasquez has all the makings to achieve superstar status.
"You can argue it's Jon Jones, it's Ronda (Rousey), they don't have Canada riding their backs," White said, referencing former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre's star power. "They don't have Mexico riding on their backs. When you can get a whole country behind you, that's when you know what a big star you are. Cain is, he's the guy everyone cares about down there. I wouldn't even go to Mexico without Cain Velasquez. Cain is a huge star."
Velasquez, a two-time UFC champion, will face Fabricio Werdum at UFC 180 from Mexico City in November. The two will also be coaches on the recently-completed season of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America, that airs on UFC Fight Pass soon.
- Scott Coker's coming to Bellator to turn the promotion into a viable competitor and challenger to the UFC. The former Strikeforce president recently released a letter stating what he has in store for fans of the company.
Dear Bellator Nation,
I wanted to take a moment and tell you all how excited I am to be a part of the Bellator family. I've been working closely with the incredible team here along with our partners at Spike to see how we are going to bring this great company to new heights.
My first order of business is to take a look at the Bellator roster and determine all the exciting possibilities that are in store for the future. Our goal is to make every Bellator event feel BIG and special which is a huge win for fighters, advertisers, and of course ? and most importantly ? you, the fans. I've been on the phone with dozens of fighters and to hear the excitement in their voices has been incredibly encouraging.
I know there are so many questions about what changes may be in store for Bellator. While we are still very early in the process of executing on our long term vision, the plan is simple. We want to put on the most entertaining events possible for YOU. We want Bellator to be a first-choice destination for the best fighters in the world and we want our events to showcase the fun side of the sport ? the personality and showmanship that makes MMA so entertaining. This is the best sport in the world and we want our events to demonstrate that for all to see.
We've got a ton of work to do, and July 25th is right around the corner. We'll have more updates in the coming weeks, and I can't wait to see all of you on Spike TV and at Pechanga in July.
- Scott Coker
Coker was brought in as a replacement to Bjorn Rebney and immediately made it clear that Bellator would do away with constant tournaments to crown contenders. Instead, they will make the best matchups possible that the fans want to see, according to Coker.
- The UFC will present fans in the U.S. with some early-morning/late-night MMA later today, as UFC Fight Night 43 goes down from New Zealand. The weigh-ins took place recently for the card, which features Nate Marquardt and James Te Huna in the main event.
Action begins at 2:30 a.m. ET with the preliminary card on UFC Fight Pass, while the four-bout main card starts at 5 a.m. ET. Complete weigh-in results can be found below:
MAIN CARD (UFC Fight Pass/5 a.m. ET)
Nate Marquardt (186 lbs.) vs. James Te Huna (186)
Soa Palelei (264) vs. Jared Rosholt (259)
Hatsu Hioki (146) vs. Charles Oliveira (145)
Robert Whittaker (171) vs. Mike Rhodes (171)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass/2:30 a.m. ET)
Dashon Johnson (155) vs. Jake Matthews (156)
Richie Vaculik (125) vs. Roldan Sangcha-an (125.5)
Vik Grujic (171) vs. Chris Indich (170)
Neil Magny (171) vs. Claudio Henrique da Silva (169)
Daniel Hooker (145) vs. Ian Entwistle (145.5)
Sean O'Connell (205) vs. Gian Villante (205.5)