‘You can’t just lay on somebody’ - Scott Coker disagrees with Storley vs. MVP result

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Wild

Zi Nazi
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Dec 31, 2014
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Scott Coker during a press conference for Bellator 158.


Scott Coker disagrees with how Logan Storley vs. Michael Page was scored at Bellator 281 this past Friday.

Storley defeated Page by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46) to earn the interim welterweight championship; however, his win has ignited debate on the scoring criteria. Storley utilized his wrestling and controlled his opponent on the ground with little to no offense, but Page found success and did damage during the striking exchanges. Effective damage is prioritized when scoring fights under the unified rules of MMA, so the Bellator president believed ‘MVP’ did enough to win on the judges’ scorecards.

“Honestly, I thought ‘MVP’ won that fight,” said Coker during his post-fight press conference. “And the reason why I say that, to me, it’s like I was talking to my guys back home and they go, ‘Look it’s close, but we think ‘MVP’ won.’ And I said, ‘Why do you say that?’ And they said, ‘Because half the round, he was striking. The other half, you can’t just lay on somebody.’ You’re not doing any damage, you’re not not getting closer to a submission, you’re not creating any threat. You’re just laying on somebody, and to me, that’s not MMA.”

By The Numbers#AndNew Interim-Welterweight Champion @storleystorm, winning by Split Decision.#Bellator281 LIVE on @SHOsports and @bbcthree pic.twitter.com/OsS0OGLw3s

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) May 13, 2022
Coker also offered a word of advice to Storley, who he says should improve in other areas beyond wrestling. The NCAA All-American has already shown he can wrestle anyone and everyone in the division, but Coker wants to see more from him in the future.

“I think Logan has some improvement to do myself too, because you can’t just lay on somebody and think you’re going to win and score points, because that’s not MMA,” said Coker. “That’s wrestling. So to me, it’s like, if you’re going to wrestle, I think you have to continue the wrestling and you have to continue to either try and submit or ground-and-pound or strike. There’s a difference between what you see on the wrestling mat and what you see in the cage.

“So to me, all these fighters — not just what you saw tonight — they’re the very highest level of what they do, but they owe it to themselves, they owe it to the audience, they owe it to the fans, that they have to continue to get better at the disciplines that they’re not strong in,” continued Coker. “Right? And that’s what I would tell Logan if he was here — ‘Hey, you’re a great wrestler. Now it’s time for you to be a great striker, or a great submission fighter and get your submission game together.’ It has to be more than just wrestling somebody. That’s honestly how I feel.”

The win over Page has not only earned Storley his first major championship but also a potential rematch against reigning champion Yaroslav Amosov should he return from defending his native Ukraine. The pair first met at Bellator 252, where Amosov defeated Storley via split decision.


‘You can’t just lay on somebody’ - Scott Coker disagrees with Logan Storley vs. Michael Page result
 
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Sheepdog

Protecting America from excessive stool loitering
Dec 1, 2015
8,912
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Coker doing careful damage control to protect one of his few reliable draws.
Yes and also no. Coker clearly wanted MVP to win, but I also think he genuinely believes what he is saying. He is a promoter and has every right to be pissed at that performance.

I would cut Storley at the first opportunity if I was him. Bellasnore is in enough trouble without guys 'fighting' like that.
 

kneeblock

Drapetomaniac
Apr 18, 2015
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Yes and also no. Coker clearly wanted MVP to win, but I also think he genuinely believes what he is saying. He is a promoter and has every right to be pissed at that performance.

I would cut Storley at the first opportunity if I was him. Bellasnore is in enough trouble without guys 'fighting' like that.
I think lay and pray needs to make a big comeback. I'd like to see all champions in every division taking it back to that GSP style. Fans deserve moments to get some chips and talk amongst themselves.
 

Robbie Hart

All Biden Voters Are Mindless Sheep
Feb 13, 2015
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If you can’t stop the guy from owing you, you get owned. Simples
Stop complaining. Learn how to wrestle
 

HEATH VON DOOM

Remember the 5th of November
Oct 21, 2015
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I think lay and pray needs to make a big comeback. I'd like to see all champions in every division taking it back to that GSP style. Fans deserve moments to get some chips and talk amongst themselves.
Thats what the women fights are for
 

sparkuri

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Jan 16, 2015
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Fighting is just that, fighting.
If boxers went out and hugged for 12 rounds they'd never be asked to come back & the crowd would kill them.
It's not about "learning to wrestle", it's about being fucking time to bring in yellow cards, which Logan would've had enough of for 52 pick-up.

The game is not "Hang on for dear life" & get a free gold belt because your opponent isn't skilled enough to keep the homo off you.
If it is, then bring in eye-gouging, biting, small joint manipulation & fish hooking.

Logan would've accrued at least 3 yellow cards in Pride, that was fucking pathetic.
 

Rambo John J

Eats things that would make a Billy Goat Puke
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Jan 17, 2015
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If you can’t stop the guy from owing you, you get owned. Simples
Stop complaining. Learn how to wrestle
or change sports

MVP should be competing in straight stand up as well as MMA IMO
 

kneeblock

Drapetomaniac
Apr 18, 2015
12,435
23,026
Fighting is just that, fighting.
If boxers went out and hugged for 12 rounds they'd never be asked to come back & the crowd would kill them.
It's not about "learning to wrestle", it's about being fucking time to bring in yellow cards, which Logan would've had enough of for 52 pick-up.

The game is not "Hang on for dear life" & get a free gold belt because your opponent isn't skilled enough to keep the homo off you.
If it is, then bring in eye-gouging, biting, small joint manipulation & fish hooking.

Logan would've accrued at least 3 yellow cards in Pride, that was fucking pathetic.
Imagine a smaller promotion that is bare knuckle and has no time limit fights. Maybe 3 a card. Allow biting, small joint and fish hooking. The people who could take people down and hold them there would win every fight just like they did in early NHB.
 

sparkuri

Pulse On The Finger Of The Community
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Jan 16, 2015
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Imagine a smaller promotion that is bare knuckle and has no time limit fights. Maybe 3 a card. Allow biting, small joint and fish hooking. The people who could take people down and hold them there would win every fight just like they did in early NHB.
I don't recall that ever occurring,