Would Scott Coker welcome Dada 5000 back to Bellator? - MMA Plus

Bellator MMA President Scott Coker spoke about the potential that Dada 5000 would return to the promotion, whilst also squashing rumours of his drastic fight week weight-cut.

Kimbo Slice – who headlines Bellator 158 against James Thompson on July 16, fought Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris at Bellator 149. The fight polarised opinion with both men struggling to formulate any significant offence (or defence) in their gassed state. Slice took a third round TKO over Harris, despite failing a post fights drug test for nandrolone and elevated testosterone levels (2.4:1 over the WADA regulated 4:1 limit).

However, events concerning the well-being of Harris post-fight have caused a barrage of backlash against Bellator. Harris had to be stretched out of the cage in Houston, Texas and it was later revealed that he had experienced a cardiac arrest en route to the hospital. Dada 5000 made it clear, ‘I was dead’.

Despite this, Harris has shown intentions that he would like to return to the Bellator MMA cage in 2017.

Speaking on MMA Junkie Radio, Harris revealed that he suffered kidney failure, which had been attributed to an ill-prepared weight cut during fight week.

When MMA PLUS asked about a possible return for Harris during the Bellator 158 press event, Coker said: “I think that, that’s a tough one because a lot of people don’t realise this but when he came into town, people said he did all his weight cutting, that’s not true.”

It had been reported that Harris had to drop serious weight to make it to the 265lb upper limit of the Heavyweight division. Although, Coker clarified that actual amount of weight Dada had to cut and weighed up whether or not he would be welcomed back to the promotion in future.

“Dada 5000 came into town 1lb heavier than he was supposed to make weight, so he wasn’t cutting weight all week right and he looked in shape, he looked ready to go and his coach said he’s been training Dada said he’d been training but I think there would have to be a real concentrated effort and show us he really wants to do this, for us to let him back, but that’s something, health and safety first and I think he’s got a lot of healing to do.”

He finished: “There’s nothing wrong with just being friends, right?”

Tickets for Bellator MMA 158: London are now on sale from AXS TV. The event features Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson II and the heated grudge match between Paul Daley and Josh Koscheck.