Russia v USA: ACA head Mairbek Khasiev challenges Bellator's Scott Coker to MMA super-event
The head of Russian-based mixed martial arts organization ACA has laid down the gauntlet to Scott Coker, president of American organization Bellator MMA, challenging him to a Russia versus USA MMA double-header
In an Instagram post, Khasiev revealed he had proposed the promotion versus promotion event and offered to stage a matchmaking meeting between the two organizations to build a fight card for the event.
Khasiev challenged Coker to an ACB versus Bellator double-header, with the first event taking place in Russia and the second in the United States, with each league pitting its champions and top contenders head-to-head with their counterparts in the rival organization.
But, according to Khasiev, Coker and Bellator have not responded to the offer, leading the head of the Russian promotion to share his idea with the world via his Instagram page.
"Friends, you will probably agree that only a battle between two leagues can determine which one is better," Khasiev wrote in Russian on his Instagram.
"The ACA has come to the leadership at Bellator MMA with a proposal to hold a match meeting. A few weeks passed, but there was no answer and therefore I decided to declare it on Instagram.
"Hey, Scott Coker, what is the problem, don't you like this event? Let's do what millions of MMA lovers are waiting for!
"Two teams - champions and number one contenders! One event in Russia, the second in the USA!"
"Remember the old times of tension, and how the national ice hockey teams of the USSR, the USA and Canada defused the situation for many years? We can repeat it, and thus get not only material satisfaction from this event, but also moral!
"Don't you want to be one of the first to organize such an event, and go into the history of the world MMA? I think so!
"Failure is perceived as for lack of confidence in victory and weakness. Looking forward to your answer. Sincerely yours, Mairbek Khasiev."
A potential ACA vs Bellator MMA super-card could feature champion versus champion clashes such as between ACA welterweight champ Albert Tumenov and Bellator's Rory MacDonald in a battle of former UFC welterweight stars, while ACA middleweight champion Albert Duraev could potentially face off against his Bellator counterpart Gegard Mousasi.
ACA's heavyweight king Mukhomad Vakhaev could go head to head with Bellator's Ryan Bader while ACA's lightweight champion powerhouse Ali 'Hulk' Bagov could go toe to toe with Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler, in what would be an explosive clash between arguably two of the most powerful lightweights on the planet.
The match-up potential between the two is mouth-watering, but it remains to be seen whether the two organizations can agree what would be a groundbreaking deal.
