While many people have speculated that the shoving match between Stephan Bonnar and Tito Ortiz was staged, Bellator MMA boss Scott Coker says that it was in fact very real.

After the two UFC Hall of Famers took to the Bellator cage, Bonnar trash talked Tito, and unveiled that the masked man next to him was in fact Tito’s old training partner, Justin McCully.

Tito then responded with his own trash talk, and ultimately ended up shoving Bonnar.

Coker spoke with media following the event.

“What you saw out there, I think, was serious heated emotion. I know Justin McCully. I don’t know what he means to Tito Ortiz. I don’t what happened, but obviously there’s some bad blood there between those two. And hence the mask. At first, I thought I was at a Japanese pro-wrestling event or something.”

“I told Tito and Justin, ‘Calm down,’ I don’t know what the beef is, but they definitely have some beef. Tito was steaming. Even when he left, he was still pretty riled up. So it’s going to be interesting that Saturday night (at Bellator 131).”