Bellator MMA sued for wrongful termination
Former Bellator MMA employee Zachery Light has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against his employer and parent company Viacom, citing wrongful termination.
Former Bellator MMA employee Zachery Light has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against his employer and parent company Viacom, citing wrongful termination. The allegations – and they are simply allegations at this point – are explosive, with significant potential effects on the company if true.
Light, who retired in 2011, fought for a number of organizations including UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, and Bodog. He was hired as Bellator’s Talent Development Director under owner Bjorn Rebney, and described a change of culture when new CEO Scott Coker replaced the founder. Again, it has to be noted this could simply be an attempt by a troubled, fired employee to harm his former employer.
With that said, Paul Gift combed through the legal filing for BE, and transcribed some disturbing allegations. These center on three areas – faked medicals, collusive matchmaking, and not maintaining the lines between promotion management and fighter management.
Light alleges that Bellator failed to observe and knowingly disobeyed laws enacted to protect the health and safety of MMA fighters. “Gone were the regular and recurring mandates from prior management to obey and exceed the high standards of adherence to state and national rules and regulations governing mixed martial arts events,” he charged.
Light claims the promotion ignored faked medicals on at least two occasions:
•At Bellator 126 in Arizona, Light claims Ryan Martinez submitted blood and eye medicals that “were admittedly forged.
•At Bellator 131 in California, Light claims he learned “a number of fighters on the card had submitted California state-required medicals by one Adam Rendon, who was not a licensed physician, in violation of Business and Professions Code, §§ 18711 and 17500.”
Light charges that Coker and or his employees rebuffed his reports of these fundamental safety regulations.
“Approximately 48 hours prior to Martinez’s scheduled fight at Bellator 126, [Light] promptly reported what he had learned to Rich Chou, defendant BELLATOR’s Vice President of Talent. Chou assured [Light] that he would follow up and that [Light] should focus on his job. When [Light] heard nothing further from Chou, he approached Coker regarding Martinez’ impending fight based on forged medicals, in violation of Arizona law. Coker told [Light] to ‘do what Chou told you to do,’ without addressing these issues. Thereafter, [Light] again brought the subject up to Chou. Chou threatened [Light] with termination if he kept pushing the issue. [Light] later learned that after losing his bout, Martinez never resumed his mixed martial arts career.
“Prior to the Bellator 131 event, [Light] told Coker that fighters had been suspended for using Rendon to sign their medicals because Rendon was not a licensed physician. Coker told [Light], ‘a lot of people at Bellator are going to lose their jobs next week. Do you want to keep yours?’ Coker added, ‘then stay in your lane and stop making waves!’ Fearful of losing his job, [Light] said nothing further regarding the falsified medical reports.”
Light also claims that he was pressured to make manager Anthony McGann’s fighters tough fights, to drive the camp from Bellator.
“Coker told [Light] to ‘get the terrorist’s fighters beaten and beaten badly,’ thereby allowing Coker to cut ties between defendant BELLATOR and McCann [sic]. [Light] was required to arrange fights between McGann’s fighters and opponents who would convincingly defeat them. Such outcomes would then enable Coker to have a convenient pretext to terminate McGann’s fighters’ promotional contracts with defendant BELLATOR. Such collusive matches were tantamount to fight fixing and constituted a fraud on ticket buyers, fight patrons, television viewers, advertisers, and the public at large, as well as McGann and the professional fighters he managed.”
And Light claims that Bellator secured the services of Mike Kogan in an executive capacity, while he was managing fighters under contract with Bellator.
“In late 2014 and early 2015, a close friend of Coker, Mike Kogan, was hired by defendant BELLATOR in an executive capacity. [Light] knew that Kogan represented numerous mixed martial arts fighters, many of whom were under professional agreements with defendant BELLATOR. [Light] is informed and believes and thereon alleges that Kogan was paid management commissions for fighters he represented in bouts that occurred with defendant BELLATOR. This was a serious conflict of interest in violation of California Business and Professions Code, §§ 18878, 18897.27, and 18897.47, as well as California Code of Regulations, Title 4, § 243. [Light], aware of and concerned about the glaring conflict of interest that existed when an executive of defendant BELLATOR also managed fighters competing for defendant BELLATOR, expressed his strong concerns regarding these conflicts to Chou. Chou responded, ‘leave it alone, he’s on our team.'”
Light reports that he was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety after Bellator 136 on April 10, 2015, necessitating medical leave through March 10, 2016. Light says he was terminated on March 17, 2016.
If all the allegations are true – and there is no evidence thus far that there is, beyond the word of a terminated employee – then Bellator’s promoter’s license could conceivably in jeopardy. Bellator does not comment on peding legal cases, and thus had no comment.
You can read the entire complaint below.
H/T ErikMagraken
