Scott Coker reacts to headbutt in Nemkov-Anderson title bout

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Bellator mild heavyweight grand prix reached its conclusion, but it still lacks resolution.

The tournament final in between champion Vadim Nemkov and Corey Anderson ended in a no contest soon after an accidental headbutt from Anderson (16-5 MMA, 3- BMMA) to Nemkov (15-2 MMA, 7- BMMA) that prompted large lower on his eyebrow. The officers overseeing the combat Friday at SAP Middle ruled it a no contest as considering that it hadn’t reached the three-round threshold to go to the judges’ scorecards.

It was a messy way to conclude the match, with Bellator president Scott Coker expressing that he wasn’t pleased with how factors unfolded and he expects to run back again the fight afterwards this 12 months.

“It’s regrettable the way that battle finished,” Coker instructed reporters at the Bellator 277 put up-fight push conference. “I was stunned. I didn’t know that his cut was so deep to the bone for the reason that I was inquiring (California Point out Athletic Fee govt) Andy Foster, ‘What transpired? There’s only 3 or 4 seconds left. Why could not they finish the fight?’ And he mentioned, ‘No, the problems was too significantly, and we could not properly transfer ahead.’

“They have the rule listed here wherever it has to go 3 rounds to go to a decision, so there’s no event champion. So what we’re heading to do is regroup and place that combat alongside one another in the subsequent a few or 4 months as quickly as anyone is wholesome and prepared to go. We’re definitely heading to re-operate that struggle. That’s almost certainly in late summer time it’s possible.”

As significantly as the logistics on how the promotion proceeds with the no contest, Nemkov continues to be Bellator winner, but the grand prix title remains in neutral fingers right up until Nemkov and Anderson can settle it in the cage. The advertising will also maintain the $1 million prize right up until the final gets rebooked and there’s a winner.

“Basically you have to win the event to win the income since the event prize is on major of the normal purses they get paid,” Coker discussed. “So both equally sides get compensated their ordinary contract pay back. And the million bucks is just a bonus verify on leading of their pay back.

“So in purchase to earn that dollars, you have to gain the struggle, be the champ. So there is no champ right here, so it will carry on on, and we will give the million-dollar test after we carry on the match in someday, let’s say, August or September.”