Rebney: Bellator not for sale under any circumstance
With a series of 12-week, eight-slot tournaments in various weight classes, Bellator has carved out a niche in the MMA…
With a series of 12-week, eight-slot tournaments in various weight classes, Bellator has carved out a niche in the MMA space. Previously airing on ESPN Deportes and then FOX Sports Net, the organization now airs each Saturday night on MTV2. Following Saturday’s news that the UFC has purchased rival Strikeforce, Bellator arguably takes No. 2 status on the promotional ladder.
But as Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebeny told MMAjunkie.com, he often reminds fighters they control their own destiny in the tournament-based organization. He said he and his fellow Bellator owners share the same philosophy when it comes to the company’s future.
Is there any scenario in which he could see the UFC or another big spender buying out Bellator?
“No,” Rebney told MMAjunkie.com. “My answer to that is based on our entire philosophy. It’s one where fighters control their own destiny. The organization that puts the cage down and puts up the lights, and puts all the cameras together and puts on the show on MTV, has the same exact philosophy of the fighters who step into the cage.
“I am a big fan of controlling one’s own destiny. It’s what got me to this point. … It’s that type of control of controlling your destiny that is everything our organization is about. It’s our very, very core.”