10 Ways Scott Coker Can Improve Bellator To Compete With UFC

8. Fix The Contracts!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MSFYw3VDwg We all know the story by now, right? Bellator contracts are almost like signing a deal with the devil. Now, lets put a little disclaimer on this: UFC contacts include things like matching rights as well. They used those rights to hold on to Gilbert Melendez when Bellator offered him a fantastic deal earlier this year. So it's not as if Bellator is the only promotion that could play contract hardball. A lot of Bellator's bad press on the contract issue came down to the Eddie Alvarez contact dispute, and how they handled it, trying to get away with some legalese in regards to "matching" what the UFC could on PPV points, when Bellator at the time hadn't held a single PPV. This didn't sit well with many. Alvarez also accused them of providing a modified contract during negotiations - in other words, trying to pull a fast one. There's another murky section of Bellator contracts however - automatic extensions. Bloody Elbow's John S. Nash did a fantastic article on these, and I suggest you search it out. In the meantime, the main point of contention is how these extensions are accumulated. Bellator has a clause in their contracts that states: "If, at any time during the term, FIGHTER is declared by the PROMOTER the champion of his weight class, a Tournament winner, or a Tournament runner-up the Term shall be automatically extended for a period commencing on the Termination Date and ending on the earlier of (i) eighteen (18) months from the Termination Date, or (ii) the date in which FIGHTER has participated in three (3) bouts promoted by PROMOTER following the Termination Date ("Extension Term")." What does that mean? Well, if a fighter wins a Bellator belt, he, as champion of his weight class, has his contracted extended either 18 months or 3 fights, which ever comes first. Now think about how that would play out under a tournament format, since winning or being runner-up in a tournament also extends your contract. You win a tourney, you've got 3 extra fights. You win the belt after that, another 3 extra fights are owed to Bellator. That's right, Bellator counts each feat individually, despite the fact that to get a title shot in Bellator, you have to win a tournament (at least, most of the time thus far). So a fighter could see 6 fights added to his contract easily, at a time when trying the open market would be a lucrative option. It's essentially a championship clause extended to non-champions and it has to be looked at. 18 months/3 fights is a long time for a fighter in their prime. Scott Coker needs to address this right off the bat.