Bellator grants lightweight champ Will Brooks immediate release, strips heavyweight champ Vitaly Minakov

[NewYorkKnight]

Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks (17-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) has been released from the California-based promotion and is now a free agent.

Additionally, heavyweight champ Vitaly Minakov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) has been stripped of his title due to inactivity but will remain under contract with the company.


In the case of lightweight champ Brooks, who’s ranked No. 11 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings, Coker said the promotion has elected to terminate the fighter’s deal and waive all negotiation rights so that “Ill Will” can pursue his free-agency options.

“It was very simple,” Coker told MMAjunkie. “Will Brooks’ contract is ending, and we made a decision not to renew it. We’re going to give him a full release, so we’re not going to be in the Will Brooks business any longer.”

Meanwhile, Coker said the company will immediately strip Minakov, who’s ranked No. 9 at heavyweight, of his title, which hasn’t been defended since April 2014.

“We’re going to retain Minakov’s rights with the company, but we are going to strip him of the title for lack of participation, basically,” Coker said. “We hope we can work it out, but we’re going to be moving on from Minakov.”

 

[NewYorkKnight]

A long-time coming but crazy to see it actually happen ... I guess Bellator was very disappointed with Ill Will's current 8 fight winning streak.

lol

 

[CowboyT]

I hope will gets a contract with the UFC, but i don't think it was smart for him to constantly bash his employer on social media. Didn't work that well for Askren.

 

[NewYorkKnight]

The social media with athletes is out of control ... shut up / put the phone down and just do your job.


Under Coker, Bellator also released Eddie Alvarez (also champ at the time) ... Nobody is above the law and Brooks getting the axe is more proof.

 

[MattyMatt]

I think both of these guys are UFC caliber with Top 5 status. Hell, I've thought for a long time Minakov is the best heavyweight in the World with a little better cardio. Miss watching that dude. Hope he returns this year...

 

[CowboyT]

I think Miakov's the best clinch hw fighter in the world. I'd love to see him clinch up with Cain to see who would win that battle. I just don't know if he wants to be a fighter. I think he's pretty politically involved. I doubt the UFC touches him with a ten foot pole though. He's probably as demanding as Fedor without the name.

 

[NewYorkKnight]

Justin Gaethje ‏@Justin_Gaethje 23m23 minutes ago








@MMAWorldSeries I heard #IllWillBrooks is a free agent. Let's make his wish come true and let me fuck him up. Please. Relay the message.

 

[CowboyT]

That is a hell of a good fight. Running out of challengers for Gaethje. Will would be really pissed with wsof. He'd be lucky to get 2 fights a year there.

 

[NewYorkKnight]

Totally agree but 155 at UFC is already stacked and I don't see Dana and Lorenzo really drooling to sign him ... The guy is a great fighter but comes with a mouth / baggage

 

[CowboyT]

Totally agree but 155 at UFC is already stacked and I don't see Dana and Lorenzo really drooling to sign him ... The guy is a great fighter but comes with a mouth / baggage

Yeah, and you know Dana and Co will totally use that for negotiation - "look, you've already burned bridge number 2. You don't want to cross bridges 3, 4, or 5 because they're only open once a year. If you want to come over bridge number 1, we think you're worth $20k/$20k. And we want you to start by fighting a guy named Joe Duffy/Nik Lentz/Mairbek Taisumov/Gilbert Burns who's a tough match-up but doesn't necessarily have tremendous name value."

 

[NewYorkKnight]

Bellator has announced the headliner for Bellator 157 ...



Michael Chandler vs. Patricky Freire for the vacant lightweight title.