411mania Interviews: Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney

Posted by Jeffrey Harris on 10.21.2010

The CEO and Chairman of Bellator Fighting Championships checks in with 411mania.com for an exclusive interview before one of the promotion's biggest events ever. Rebney talks the status of Alvarez/Melendez, Bellator's broadcasting future, ratings viewership, the tournament format, and much more.

On October 21, Bellator Fighting Championships will be holding their finale event for their third season which will be broadcast on FSN and Mun2. Right before Bellator 32 last week, 411mania.com got the chance to speak with the man in charge of Bellator, Chairman and CEO, Bjorn Rebney to talk about their upcoming events and the future of the company:



Jeffrey Harris: What do you think the next run of shows means for Bellator?

Bjorn Rebney: Kind of a culmination of what we've been from the start. More so 33 than 32, but in 33 you've got Lyman Good stepping up after a lot of time off and fighting Ben Askren. And Lyman won our first tournament in dominating fashion. I don't know if Ben Askren lost a 30 second slot of any fight he was in and he was hugely dominant in the really powerful field to go up against in 170. So it's a nice culmination. It is going to be great to see [Alexander] Shlemenko against Hector Lombard in the last event of the season at the Hard Rock. It's the objectivity and the fighters controlling their destiny that I really wanted to put into place and its working and it's great to see.

Jeffrey Harris: I think this model has been really amazing just being able to turn on FSN and get some MMA every week. As an MMA fan, I like being able to get more variety on TV and on Wednesday I can watch The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV and on Thursday I can watch Bellator on FSN and MMA Live on ESPN.

Bjorn Rebney: Yeah I'm right there with you. My wife kind of thinks I'm a whack job, but I'll watch Strikeforce on Showtime. I'll watch Ultimate Fighter on Wednesday. I buy the pay-per-views. I watch HDNet Fights and see what is coming in from Japan. I have vested interest to pay attention to what happens on our shows on FSN and NBC and Mun2 etc. I love the variety as well, but I'm thankful about what we've created in Bellator in that we created a different format, a different dynamic. And it's real. It's not a format based on music or cool lighting or based on girls dancing on poles or guys walking out the mouths of a fire-breathing dragon. It's about a real format, a real sports format where the best move on and those who don't go home and try to get into the next tournament to fight. So I can't get enough of it in terms of a live MMA event myself, I'm right there with you.

Jeffrey Harris: What can we expect from season 4 and beyond?

Bjorn Rebney: Season 4's emphasis will be to create an ever increasing qualitative level of fighters at 145, 170, and 185 to getting to another 8 man tournament to follow that format, that structure of 12 weeks. And to develop challengers for what will at that point be Joe Warren, our 145 lb champ who on a lot of people's lists is ranked top 4 in the world at 145. For our 155 champion, who may be Eddie Alvarez or conceivably it could be Pat Curran. For the 170 lb champ it will either be Lyman Good continuing his reign or Ben Askren. For 185 lb champion, Hector Lombard or Alexander Shlemenko. And we've been working really diligently to stock those weight classes so that we as a company surpass what we did at a qualitative level in season 2. Just keep getting the tournaments stronger and stronger and stronger so that every fight is literally a pick 'em fight. And that's what we're going to do in season 4.

Jeffrey Harris: What about a light heavyweight tournament?

Bjorn Rebney: I would love to do light heavyweight. And we have been recruiting light heavy's -- we just want to make sure that when we kick off and do our first light heavyweight tournament, it's substantively and qualitatively a high level. We really want to make sure the fighter quality is the kind of fighter quality that came the rise to Joe Warren, one of the top 4 ranked in the world or Eddie Alvarez from being ranked outside the top 10 to you know on many people's lists to number 2 in the world. Or Ben Askren or Good at 170. We just want to make sure that when we do it, it stays true to the qualitative level of what we've done to date. And we're getting close, we're getting close. It may be a season number 5 tournament when you see the first light heavyweight belt being given out at Bellator. But when we've got the right level of fighter ready to go, that's when we'll do it.

Jeffrey Harris: Due to the controversy of the decision of the fight between Jessica Aguilar and Zoila Frausto, is it possible Aguilar could face the winner of the Frausto/Megumi Fujii fight?

Bjorn Rebney: I'm a big Jessica Aguilar fan, and she will absolutely without question be invited back to our next tournament. But at this time, the reality is we at Bellator, we don't match any of the world title fights. You've got to earn the right. You've got to win 3 fights and earn the right to challenge for a title. I watched that fight again . . . and whenever there is a controversial decision I watch the fight with the sound off and I try to compartmentalize every piece of every round and see where it comes off. And I watched that fight, and while Jessica put on a spectacular performance and looked great in the third, I can truly understand how the judges scored rounds 1 and 2 for Zoila. And in a 3 round fight, you got to win 2 of 3, and she [Frausto] did. So the reality is Jessica is a tremendous talent and stood up and made it a stand up fight with far and away the best standup fighter we have in the entire tournament, the tournament made up of the best women in the world. So she'll get back into the next tournament, and she'll be able to -- if she's able to win 3 fights in sequence, she'll have the right to fight that champion whether it is Megumi Fujii or whether it's Zoila.

Jeffrey Harris: So even if Huerta were to beat Eddie Alvarez at Bellator 33 for example, he has not truly earned the right to face the champion for the title?

Bjorn Rebney: Yeah. Not in our format any more than a team in the NFL beating the Saints and having the claim the right to play in the Super Bowl. The Saints are going to lose. That's the nature of the beast. They are a hugely talented football team but they are going to lose, and they don't relinquish that title -- they don't relinquish the NFL Championship, that Super Bowl victory, until such time where someone else has earned the right, gone through the playoffs, and won that final game. And it's the same thing that we got here. In MMA, part of the magic that I've loved about mixed martial arts since I first watching Royce [Gracie] facing 300 lb guys when he went in weighing in a buck eight five soaking wet. Guys lose. And none of the hardcore fans look at that like kind of the false glass ceiling that exists in boxing. And true MMA fans don't look at that and say, "Oh he lost. He's no good anymore." Guys lose. Look at Randy [Couture]. Look at Hendo. Look at some of the greatest names of the game of the last 10 years. They win some of their fights and they lose some of their fights. And we all accept that because we understand that in mixed martial arts there is an awful lot of ways win to win and there is an awful lot of ways to lose. So Eddie Alvarez engages in a super fight with a hugely talented fighter like Roger. If he wins and he wins in dominant fashion, it just further establishes Eddie as one of the best fighters on the face of the earth if not the best, the best in my mind. If he loses, he lost to a world class lightweight fighting to keep his name and self relevant in the world of mixed martial arts at the elite world class level. So I don't know. I look at it more as a fan than I do as a CEO. And as a fan, I look at and imagine to myself, that's what real sports is all about. And guys aren't going to win every single fight. When you got with that left hook you never see coming or that kick they don't see . . . or ala Eddie's fight against Aoki and they get caught in an anklelock. And they're going to admit it. It's in the nature of the game, but two hardcore MMA fans look at it and go, "Well, he lost to a really, really good fighter and it doesn't subtract from how hugely talented he is."

Jeffrey Harris: There was some interest on Bellator's in putting a fight together with Eddie Alvarez and Strikeforce Lightweight Champion, Gilbert Melendez. That does not seem be on Melendez's or Strikeforce's radar right now. Scott Coker says it is a TV issue keeping it from happening. What do you think about that?

Bjorn Rebney: I have a huge amount of respect for Scott, and I like Scott as a guy. And that is a totally and absolutely inaccurate. I've said many times. And I've said on our show and I've said in countless interviews, that is a fight that fans would love to see. It's a fight that Gilbert asked for. It's a fight that Eddie accepted and repeatedly said he would take. It's a fight I've said we could do without issue. I've heard Scott many times say well it's a television issue or it's a venue issue or it's a promotion issue. It's none of those things. Unequivocably without any question, we'll do it, in any venue, on any network, on any date. So there is no issue. The issue is that 3 of the 4 parties involved have said yes, we'd like to do it. One of the 4 parties involved has said no. And the fourth party who happens to be the chairman and CEO of Strikeforce says the fight can't happen, it's as simple is that. It's the nature of the beast. And like I said, I like Scott. He's a nice guy and he puts on good shows, but there is no truth to the issue that it is a television issue or a venue issue.

Jeffrey Harris: Do you think this could maybe be because of the influence from Ken Hersman or CBS/Showtime not wanting to have their champion face Bellator's champion?

Bjorn Rebney: I don't know. I applaud Gilbert Melendez. And I've always liked Gilbert Melendez. I've liked him as a guy, and I've liked him as a fighter. He is has a true, true fighter's heart. He was asked a very, simplistic, straight-forward question, who do you want to fight? And Gilbert answered like you hoped a true fighter would, "I want to fight the best of the best and right now I think Eddie Alvarez is the best of the best. And I want to fight Eddie." I don't know. Obviously, I'm Eddie's promoter. Eddie is the Bellator champion. I think Eddie wins the fight. There may be other people that have alterior motives who also think Eddie wins the fight and therefore don't want to make it happen. But I can't speak to that. I don't know the answer to those questions. I do know that the two singularly, most important people in the mix: Gilbert and Eddie would both like to make the fight. So those are all very good questions. I don't have the answer to them. All I know is that this -- the CEO and Chairman of this company that can say there is no hesitation or hurdle in the way of us making the fight. The only hurdles at this point are whether Strikeforce would make the fight.

Jeffrey Harris: In terms of co-promotion, is it ever possible for Bellator to co-promote with DREAM and perhaps make a rematch between Shinya Aoki and Eddie Alvarez?

Bjorn Rebney: I would love to bring Aoki in for a rematch for that fight. Eddie got caught in that fight. The fight didn't turn out to be what us and a lot of people had expected or anticipated it would be. I would love to bring him over. I have read what everyone else has read of what is and isn't going at DREAM. I don't really know what the status of the organization is or where they're headed. But I would be wildly open to making the Aoki fight because obviously it's a fight Eddie feels strongly about. He'd like to erase that loss in dramatic fashion from his resume. So I'd love to make it, but we have had no subsitive conversations with DREAM about making that fight work.

Jeffrey Harris: Bellator also has programming on NBC. How has NBC been as a broadcasting partner and can we ever expect anything more from that relationship? And will Comcast's take over of NBC affect the relationship at all?

Bjorn Rebney: In answer to your first question, they've been a terrific broadcast partner. They've been great to work with. The team at NBC Entertainment has been very responsive. They've been active and promoted our brand well. It's been great. In terms of what's going to happen, when an official announcement has been made of the Comcast/NBC merger and Comcast takes control, it will be a very interesting dynamic. Obviously, Versus is the primary cabler that programs MMA underneath the Comcast banner. Versus will become part and parcel of that larger alliance between NBC and Comast -- what will happen with that will be very interesting to see in terms of who, what, where, and when. What will happen with Versus. What will happen with the WEC. What will happen with NBC. Will Versus stay Versus or will Versus become NBC Cable Sports? It's all very interesting dynamics, and I don't know all the answers. I just know that it will be a very, very powerful broadcast platform which will include obviously Versus or some new cabler that will take the place of Versus and it will include NBC and NBC Sports and Versus has obviously been great for MMA. And NBC has been terrific for MMA. To make the transition to a primetime spot on a NBC network, I can't imagine that's very far off.

Jeffrey Harris: Will Bellator's contract with NBC continue on? Or does the merger make all bets off?

Bjorn Rebney: It's a good question. Our relationship with NBC stays in place. We'll continue to do our late night -- basically the best of previous week's events on NBC. And we'll see where the alliance takes us. There will be a lot of interesting moves and transitional aspects over the next number of months as that relationship matures, as Bellator moves into seasons 4 and 5, there's a lot of interesting things that are going to go on. I think overall, good for MMA.

Jeffrey Harris: I know with the way FSN programming is set up, it's a very segmented and regional viewing audience for the broadcasting. Sometimes Bellator programming is pre-empted. Bellator 31 was pre-empted in my area. So have you guys been able to get a handle and gauge on your demographic and the ratings you've been getting?

Bjorn Rebney: We've been able to get a real handle on who the demo is and we also have been able to get a very, very firm handle on where we're stacking up against other national broadcasts on Fox Sports Network. We're the highest rated national broadcast on Fox Sports Net on both Thursday and Sunday nights. And our demographic is a young, male demographic. We have driven the median age of the Fox Sports Network down very substantially. We're getting a much younger male demographic than what FSN typically gets. And we've been working with Fox dilligently, trying to get more clearances at our live timeslot. There are 19 different affiliate networks that make up the Fox Sports Network group of stations across the country reaching 92 millions. And we're consistently working literally week in and week out, we've got people who do nothing but ensure to get as much clearance as we can get during the time that our fights are actually happening. If you've got DirecTV you can always find it. If you don't have DirecTV, and you're working off of a little cabler, reaction issues are issues. And we're trying to overcome them because the essence of free live MMA is you're watching it live. Everybody is going to be going to your site, this site, and that site and seeing what happens. And fights get stale once you know what the outcome is. Your desire to watch a fight is pretty significantly reduced once you know who won and how. And that's the essence of continuing to grow our brand because we have to create a dynamic where our fight programming is live, it is live every single week, and but for a tornado or an earthquake or some other kind of national disaster, it's right where you anticipate it will be week in and week out. And that's what we've been working on.

Jeffrey Harris: Do you have a rough estimate of your viewership?

Bjorn Rebney: We're winning our timeslot on NBC late nights on Saturday night on a pretty consistent basis doing about five to six hundred thousand viewers on the NBC late night show. It is more difficult to get those actual numbers on the FSN shows just because of the nature of the affiliate network. But we do know that the numbers have been extremely strong for them on a national basis when you combine all the different affiliates under one umbrella. But we don't have the exact numbers on the Fox show.

Jeffrey Harris: Any thoughts on your recent nomination for the World MMA Awards?

Bjorn Rebney: It's really exciting. I'm blessed. I've got an amazing team of people around me at every front. And we got nominated as a company. I got nominated as an individual. It's very cool when those kinds of things happen because it speaks to the kind of great work that a large team of people at Bellator are doing.

Jeffrey Harris: Thank you for your time and have a great show this week.

Bjorn Rebney: And thank you and I appreciate you guys calling in. I appreciate the time as well.

Bellator 33 featuring Ben Askren vs. Lyman Good for the Welterweight title and Eddie Alvarez vs. Roger Huerta in a non-title fight will be broadcast Thursday, October 21 on FSN and Mun2. Bellator 34 featuring Zoila Frausto vs. Megumi Fujii to crown the first ever Bellator 115 lb Women's Champion and Hector Lombard defending his middleweight title against season 3 tournament winner Alexander Shlemenko will go down on October 28 and will also be broadcast on FSN and Mun2. Remember to check 411mania.com for all the latest and greatest MMA coverage on the event and you can also follow us on:

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