Bellator CEO Scott Coker reveals detailed talks with Francis Ngannou

ByMarc Ray
Scott Coker, Francis Ngannou, Bellator

Scott Coker recently shared the ongoing discussions with free agent Francis Ngannou. 

Ngannou became a free agent after failed negotiations with the UFC in January. Now, the former UFC heavyweight champion is looking for a new home.

Scott Coker and Francis Ngannou Have Been in Talks

During Bellator fight week, Coker shared the details about Bellator’s discussions with “The Predator”. He believes the MMA company can offer Ngannou the option to box with Showtime.

“From my perspective, then you talk about signing him to Bellator, we’re also talking about having a conversation with him and Stephen (Espinoza), which happened earlier this week, about getting into Showtime pay-per-view boxing too,” Coker said. “I think we have a great company to offer him both sides of the combat sports business that he would like to, which is fight MMA and also box. I think we’re a great fit. There’s ongoing discussions, so we’ll see what happens.” [h/t MMA Junkie]

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The Cameroon native is 17-3 in his MMA career. 16 of his wins have been finishes. He last fought in January 2022 at UFC 270, where he successfully defended the heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane. Since then, he has been recovering from an MCL and ACL injury. 

Ngannou is the top free agent in the fight game. The 36-year-old has been in talks with several other companies, including the PFL and multiple boxing promotions. He has not revealed who he plans to sign with.

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Marc Ray has lived his entire life in Houston, Texas, where he was born, raised and attended the University of Houston, studying broadcast journalism. As you may imagine, he spends much of his time watching mixed martial arts as part of his daily routine — not only to pump himself up, but also because he deeply enjoys the sport. Ray has worked for Houston Public Media, where he interned in the newsroom and produced community stories. Ray also created sports features in Houston for El Gato Media Network and occasionally produced content for an internship at AARP.

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