Bellator matchmaker Rich Chou lifts lid on promotion's rankings system, 'new chapter' in 2021

Bellator’s event output may have been curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the enforced scaling back of their schedule gave the promotion time to look at ways to improve its offering, with the introduction of an independently-compiled rankings system the latest addition.

A panel of media members has been enlisted to create the inaugural rankings for each of Bellator’s weight classes, and those divisional lists will be regularly tweaked and updated throughout the year, with the media panel registering their ranking changes after each event.

It’s a new addition to Bellator’s overall look and feel and, in a rare interview, Bellator’s vice president of talent relations, Rich Chou, explained the thinking behind the move and his hopes for how the newly instituted system can enhance the overall Bellator product.

“We’re chomping at the bit. I’m so excited to get going,” he said. “We’ve been working hard on a lot of things, including the rankings system. A lot’s been going on behind the scenes. You saw Scott (Coker), Stephen Espinoza, and all of our fighters getting introduced a few weeks ago with that Showtime announcement, so there’s been a lot going on and we just can’t wait till April to get these fights going and do what we love to do.

“Scott, a few weeks ago at that presser, he said something. He came out and made a very big and bold statement and that was that this roster that we currently have is the best, most talented, and deepest roster we’ve ever had, and I think that was really why we felt like now was the time to put this ranking system together,” he explained. “So it really just revolved around all the amazing fighters we have, the talent we have, and the depth of the various divisions that we have here. That was the main reason. There’s no better time than now.”

Chou explained that Bellator’s decision to invite media members to be a part of the rankings panel was due to the need for informed, independent, impartial opinion, which can be in short supply in MMA.

“It’s clear that we didn’t come up with the idea of rankings – it’s not something we invented,” he said. “But I think we took a look at what was out there, we absorbed what we felt was useful and would work for us, we added some of our own little touches, and at the end of the day, I think we have an independent panel of experts.

“I saw some people asking, ‘Why the media?’ and I can’t think of a more educated, unbiased group that is following what’s going on in MMA today. It’s certainly not going to be coaches and fighters doing this, so that’s why we decided to go with the media, the guys that follow this every day, that are up to speed with what’s relevant and what’s going on, not only in MMA, but obviously in Bellator. Having an independent system with experts on the panel, to us was key, and I think we’ve achieved that.”

As well as establishing the panel itself, significant time was dedicated to finalizing the criteria to be used by those panelists when setting their rankings, with the notoriously unpredictable nature of MMA making for plenty of discussion among the Bellator team as they attempted to nail down a system that was flexible, but fair.

Explaining that the ranking criteria “really anticipates a lot of different things that could happen,” Chou said that the wide range of often-unpredictable factors all had to be taken into account.

“From new guys coming in, to guys becoming injured for an extended period of time, to guys changing weight classes, we tried to anticipate as much as we can to make this thing flow and make sense and be fair for everyone involved,” he explained. “I just wanted everyone to know that we really took our time and worked hard to put this thing together, and we feel we’ve got the best panel possible. With those things, we feel very good about it. I can’t wait to get this thing going.”

While the aim of the rankings is to provide greater clarity on where the fighters stand in each weight class, Chou also acknowledged that it may on occasion make his job a little trickier.

“Some days, or after some events, when new rankings come out, it’ll make it easier. Other times it’ll make it a little trickier. But collectively, we have a lot of experience on this side,” he said. “The instinct we’ve developed over the years will just help us and guide us through the tricky situations. So we’re prepared for it all. Yes, there are some challenges around the corner here, but we’ll be ready for them and, look, at the end of the day, we want to give the fans the best fights possible.

“I’m looking forward (to it), especially with this initial ranking coming up in a few weeks, I’m curious to see. I’m going to be online that day, for sure, and I’m certain we’ll be tagged in all these comments and messages from fighters and fans and, quite honestly, that’s very exciting. I think that’s going to be a lot of fun just to start this new conversation here at Bellator with our fans, with our fighters, and just have fun with it.”

With new broadcast deals in place in the U.S. and the U.K., Bellator’s 2021 schedule kicks into top gear in April with the launch of the promotion’s light heavyweight grand prix, and Chou said he’s excited to get things rolling as he and his team look to put on a host of exciting fights for the fans through 2021 and beyond.

“It does feel like kind of this new chapter, with Showtime and this new era with this new matchmaking philosophy that we’ve been moving forward on,” he said. “I’m really pumped to get this light heavyweight grand prix going and we’ve got to sit down and see what Scott wants to do for the next one. We’ve got some really great options, some really tough divisions, and deep divisions, so which grand prix do we launch next?

“Just getting back on Showtime, just getting the band back together, (it’s) a very familiar, fun feeling that has everyone excited and certainly including us. We’re just ready to keep putting on great fights. We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve that I can’t really talk about quite yet, but that’s the name of the game, try and keep the fans engaged by putting on the best fights, and every now and then throw you guys a nice little surprise.”

To see the full interview with Chou, check out the video below.