Is Bellator headed to Spike TV now that UFC is on FOX?

by Geno Mrosko on Aug 21, 2011 4:04 PM EDT in Bellator FC News & Results

In case you didn't know, the UFC recently signed a deal with FOX to broadcast its programming across its network of channels, from the main station to FX and on down to Fuel.

That means a gaping hole is left at Spike TV.

Rumors quickly emerged that it was only a matter of time before Bellator, widely regarded as the number three mixed martial arts promotion in the land with a ton of upside and potential for growth, would emerge to fill that void.

Those rumors have so far been refuted and denied at each turn but recent signs and comments made by company CEO Bjorn Rebney suggest otherwise.

Among those in attendance last night (Aug. 20) at Bellator 48 in Uncasville, Connecticut, were executives from Spike TV, who were reportedly assisting with production duties.

This led to an even bigger surge of speculation across social media networks that a deal to move Bellator from MTV2 over to Spike TV is imminent. Rebney only stoked the fires when he admitted the following (via Sherdog):

"They've been at all of our shows. They're part of the MTV networks family. Our deal is with MTV Networks, it's not a deal that we did with MTV 2, or a deal that we did with MTV Tres. So we've been able to leverage that expertise. I mean, I don't know. I know what the specifics are of our agreement with MTV2, but from a transitional perspective, our deal is with the bigger corporate entity and they make all of the programming decisions. [I'm a] big fan of Spike and an enormous fan right now of MTV2 as well."

If one plus one still equals two, it most certainly sounds like Bellator on Spike TV is nearly a reality.

When looking at the current climate in MMA, it makes the most sense for both parties involved. After all, Spike TV reaches almost 20 million more homes than MTV2 and if Bellator wants to be considered a serious player in the game, a deal with Spike, which has shown a willingness to offer unprecedented support, is paramount.

Of course, until a deal is done and the decision has ultimately been made, it's in Rebney's best interests to continue to push the status quo. Can't blame him for making prudent business decisions.

What do you think of the potential of this deal, Maniacs? Are you more or less likely to watch Bellator if it makes the move to Spike TV?

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It probably will

I was watching UFC unleashed on Spike the night after they announced the Fox deal and SpikeTV was advertising Belltor on MTV2 right next to the spikeTV logo during the UFC Unleashed broadcast.

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by southpaw447 on Aug 21, 2011 4:08 PM EDT reply actions

spike's bellator rebound

I think it’d be a great idea and the right thing to do. Ufc is expanding and bellator would be most qualified to fill spike’s mma void. On a side note, ever since elitexc’s ring cage i have always liked the idea of an even circle with no corners. I love that bellator adopted the ring.

by ufcusa on Aug 21, 2011 4:41 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

… even though i dream of a time with no ropes or fences … just a 30+ foot open mat … nothing to interfere with the exchanges. No fences or ropes or anything to lean against or push off or grab just fighter vs fighter. A boy can dream.

by ufcusa on Aug 21, 2011 4:46 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I hate ropes and would hate an open mat for the same reason.

People would use them as an escape to get out of danger. Can’t do that with a cage.

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by Edgecrusher71 on Aug 21, 2011 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Every sport has boundries still mma is the only one that fences the athletes in. Plenty of combat sports use open mats and athletes don’t run out of bounds. I know everybody’s used to the fence but it’s only as necessary as you imagine it is.

by ufcusa on Aug 21, 2011 5:39 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Several fighters use the cage to stall and others often cheat and grab it. A fence just adds another element and fighters form techniques to adapt but it is not a prerequisite for combat sports.

by ufcusa on Aug 21, 2011 5:46 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Stalling is one thing but look at wrestling or the most concrete example is MMA itself.

Guys would get in a crappy situation and crawl out the ropes and then they would have to reset them, that is bogus. Also in other sports going out of bounds doesn’t gain you anything like it can when you have to reset when you are in a bad position.

by Edgecrusher71 on Aug 21, 2011 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions

100%

by biggant on Aug 21, 2011 6:54 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

out of bounds

I hate the idea of a reset as much as anybody. What if the mat was 40foot 50foot? Perhaps refs allow 5-10 seconds to work back into ring or repeated out of bounds results in a point. You think we’ll ever see the olympics allow cage fights? Idk. It just seems like a trashy gimmick used to sell the old school ufc tourneys or pro wrestling ppv. the cage has it’s pros/cons but if you had designed the first ufc fight would you have thought “fence them in” it just seems like its out of a chuck norris or xmen movie. The same guys who gave us the cage were even considering a moat with alligators

by ufcusa on Aug 21, 2011 8:51 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

The idea of a mat that big

A. Is just not conducive to making for many reasons and making money is the end result of any business because it would take up to much room.
B. I do think the cage is the most functional format, not trashy or gimmicky. I honestly think it makes sense. No way out, no out of bounds, just two men or women locked in till the fight is deemed over someway.

by Edgecrusher71 on Aug 21, 2011 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions

100 foot mat!

We all know the octagon cage will remain as long as the company does. Maybe fighters just need more room than we give them? Shit maybe they’d fight out of bounds if we gave them a football field who knows i’m just throwing my love of the open mat out there. And look at your last sentence “no way out, no out of bounds just two men or women …” it sounds like a pro wrestling commercial … or a jet li/dmx movie. (And they designed it that way on purpose)

by ufcusa on Aug 21, 2011 11:41 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I hear ya but it is also silly to hate it just because pro wrestling uses it.

By your account if Pro Wrestling went to an open mat format then you would hate an open mat as well.

by Edgecrusher71 on Aug 22, 2011 9:00 AM EDT up reply actions

that'd be silly if i thought that way

I wouldn’t be bothered or surprised if prowrestling borrowed some mma formats i just don’t want mma to borrow theirs. wrestling judo tae kwon do fencing bjj sambo all use open mats successfully. Roping or fencing the fighters in started a long time ago when cock fights and dog fights were being held in the next room. We’ve come a long way from the 19th century but old habits die hard

by ufcusa on Aug 22, 2011 10:05 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Yeah spike loves mma

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by letter19 on Aug 21, 2011 4:09 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah that or

The huge demographic it brings in

by pbdb on Aug 21, 2011 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions

of course

"Some people were born with a silver spoon in there mouth mine was gold."-letter19

by letter19 on Aug 21, 2011 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions

This would do huge things for Bellator

Alot of the ufc fans will still be watching spike expecting ufc, great way for them to make themselves more known.

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by Khaos_Warrior on Aug 21, 2011 4:09 PM EDT reply actions

Last night

they said they would be on Epix HD soon. It’s a sister station of the MTV & Viacom networks. Only thing is in the US only Fios gets Epix if I’m not mistaken.

@fjbar75 on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner

by _Felix_ on Aug 21, 2011 4:21 PM EDT reply actions

your right cablevision in the bronx does not carry epix

by biggant on Aug 21, 2011 4:31 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I have Epix and Epix2 on Fios but I'm not sure if it's and exclusive channel to Fios. But it did cost an extra $9.99 if I remember monthly for the subscription

by southpaw447 on Aug 21, 2011 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Fios has terrible customer service, BTW

by southpaw447 on Aug 21, 2011 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions

I have Uverse.

Dumped Comcast for them. The only complaint I have about them is their On Demand selection, compared to Comcast, is a little thin.

@fjbar75 on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner

by _Felix_ on Aug 21, 2011 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions

please HD! now

by biggant on Aug 21, 2011 4:30 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Hell yeah

I’ll definetly watch more bellator being on Spike in HD

Confucius says:

"Baseball is wrong; man with four balls cannot walk."

by RiverHorror on Aug 21, 2011 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions

well even if they do, there is no possible way that they will ever be competition to the UFC especially now with the deal with FOX.

by TheProwler on Aug 21, 2011 5:28 PM EDT reply actions

They Know That

They couldn’t possibly be so naive to think otherwise. They just have to keep putting on the fights they’ve been doing and look forward to the day Strikeforce dissolves. As long as they put on good fights and promoting, it’s a winner.

by G Squat on Aug 21, 2011 6:16 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

bellator is going to get second sloppies

but as long bellator is generating enough revenue to keep afloat and making profit, there is no shame being third to the ufc and after strikeforce is gone, second. bellator will never be a threat to the ufc. it’s more likely it will be a farm feeder for the ufc.

by daftshadow on Aug 21, 2011 6:27 PM EDT reply actions

Bellator has lost alot of money and Spike should know better than to try and take a flier on another b league promotion look what happend with TNA. They’ve poured millions into that product to get the same stale ratings every week and a horrible product that’s hard to watch. Bjorn isn’t Dana White and the fact that he continues to push this tournament gimmick instead of running a real promotion is recipe for disaster but hey good luck to them.

by Raker on Aug 22, 2011 12:56 AM EDT reply actions

If bellator goes to spike

consider it bought by the UFC within a year

Living, breathing......MMA.

by Leaking Wound on Aug 22, 2011 10:14 AM EDT reply actions

sports channels

i just love sports! for those people out there who have the same passion like me! try watching through online tv tvhook. you can have access to hundreds of sports channels!

by Nick007 on Aug 24, 2011 9:39 AM EDT reply actions