Dana White has nothing negative to say about new Bellator; Rebney made things confrontational

Since Bellator's ousting of Bjorn Rebney and subsequent appointment of former Strikeforce CEO, Scott Coker to run the promotion, the air of contention that UFC president, Dana White once carried toward the Number 2 MMA organization has diminished considerably. Whether Coker's new lead position makes Bellator an actual threat to the UFC remains to be seen, but Dana doesn't seem to believe they are trying to compete with his company.

At the UFC 175 post-fight scrum, White discussed the changing of the guard, and how the previous bad blood between the two organizations was instigated by Rebney.

"I don't think he's going into business against us. I don't think (Bellator's) business is at the level that we're at. I think he's going in there to try to do whatever he can to keep that thing alive.

"There were companies back in the day that I looked at that way; I don't look at them that way. And I never did. It's like when people were trying to make it sound like we were trying to go the same night as them. Do you really think that (we're trying to do that?) I don't even know my schedule. You think I know when they're going? I don't know and I don't care. They're doing their thing.

"(Former Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney) made this thing confrontational, and you know me, if you want to poke me, I'll poke you back. And he's gone, and there's guys over at Spike that I like and respect. I did business with those guys, and I think if you asked them, they'd tell you I'm probably the best guy they've ever been in business with. I ate, slept and breathed Spike TV. I did everything I could to make it as successful as I could, and they're not bad guys. They're good guys.

"And Scott Coker's not a bad guy, so I literally have nothing negative to say about him, and I don't look at them as competing."

Bellator does show some promise, especially in light of a relatively successful debut PPV outing. No concrete plans have been announced from the promotion, however, it is expected that they will move away from the current tournament format.