Scott Coker: Bellator to Hold Lightweight Grand Prix in 2023

Bellator will continue to be in the tournament business in 2023.

During an appearance on "The MMA Hour," Bellator president Scott Coker revealed that the promotion will hold a lightweight grand prix sometime next year. While the participants have yet to be determined, Coker is targeting February for the beginning of the 155-pound bracket.

“We’re going to finish our light heavyweight tournament in November, the [bantamweight] semifinals in December,” Coker said. “I feel like we want to set this off in February. February would be a good month and the bantamweight tournament [finals] sometime in March.”

Some of the athletes Coker mentioned who could take part in the eight-man tournament include Patricky Freire, Usman Nurmagomedov, Tofiq Musayev, Benson Henderson, Brent Primus and A.J. McKee. Signing free agent Eddie Alvarez for the grand prix is also a possibility, Coker admitted.

The Bellator light heavyweight grand prix was delayed after the first meeting between Vadim Nemkov and Corey Anderson ended in a no contest. That tournament will conclude when Nemkov and Anderson lock horns again in the Bellator 288 main event on Nov. 18. Meanwhile, the bantamweight grand prix semifinals are set for Bellator 289 on Dec. 9, as Raufeon Stots meets Danny Sabatello, while Magomed Magomedov takes on Patrick Mix.