Pump the brakes on a partnership between Bellator and NASCAR.
NASCAR says it does not have a partnership with Bellator after the MMA promotion announced earlier today that it had partnered with NASCAR and Monster Energy to bring fights to four racing events later this year during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.
“NASCAR does not have a partnership with Bellator,” NASCAR told USA TODAY Sports’ Brant James.
ESPN reported it had obtained a revised news release from Bellator, which stated “Details to come soon.” A Bellator official declined comment when reached by MMAjunkie for clarification on the situation.
Earlier Monday, Bellator issued its original news release with President Scott Coker announcing a partnership among the three organizations.
“I’m excited to announce Bellator’s partnership with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series,” Coker said. “Bellator and NASCAR fans are some of the most passionate in sports, and we couldn’t be happier to bring MMA and motorsports together.
“Monster Energy has been a great partner of ours over the years, and we’re excited about the opportunity to integrate our brand into another great sports property within the Monster Energy family. I want to thank Cody Dresser and Hans Molenkamp from Monster Energy for helping put this great partnership together, and I’m looking forward to introducing Bellator to a whole new fanbase.”
Monster Energy, for its part, seemed to have no issue with Bellator’s announcement of a partnership.
“MMA is an exciting sport that appeals to a wide demographic,” said Mitch Covington, vice president of sports marketing, via Motorsport.com. “By partnering with Bellator to bring mixed martial arts to NASCAR we are able to bring a fresh dynamic to the racetrack and a taste of what Monster Energy is into, allowing us all to connect with a new fan base in relevant and meaningful ways to further elevate the series.”
For more on the upcoming Bellator schedule, visit the MMA Rumors section of the site.
