Veteran MMA promoter Scott Coker is stepping back into the MMA business with a new combat sports promotion, Ki MMA, he formally revealed at a VIP media launch event at Cipriani 25 Broadway in Lower Manhattan.
The global MMA promotion is scheduled to launch in early-2027 and will feature a 32-fighter World Grand Prix featherweight tournament, including four mini-tournaments across North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Ki MMA will also feature “super fights” involving prominent names in the sport.
The winner of each eight-man tournament will be a continental champion leading to the four tournament winners facing off in a one-night grand semi-finals and final matchup to crown an undisputed world champion.
Coker secured $60 million in funding earlier this year to launch his new organization, which includes Tony Hawk as an investor who also attended the media launch.
Coker will also be working alongside media executive Peter Levin who will serve as the chairman of the new company and longtime MMA matchmaker Rich Chou who will lead athlete relations.
“When Scott and I got together, we knew we had to come up with something really special. It’s going to be a tall mountain to climb but we know what fighters we want,” Chou said.
The upstart organization also plans to host fights within a squared-circle ring instead of the traditional fenced MMA cage, a visual many associate with legendary Japanese MMA company, PRIDE FC.
Coker previously led his first MMA venture Strikeforce, which emerged as one of the UFC’s biggest competitive rivals before they acquired Coker’s company in 2011. Coker later became chief executive of Paramount’s MMA venture Bellator MMA, which was purchased by the PFL in 2023.
“It’s worked for me twice and we’re going to do it a third time,” Coker said.
Under Coker’s leadership, Strikeforce built the careers of prominent athletes which includes Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, Daniel Cormier and Nick Diaz.
“I’ve seen first hand, Coker is a generational operator. There’s only two people that have taken an MMA platform global, scaled it and made it profitable and Coker has done it twice,” Levin said.
MMA stars such as PFL featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and former UFC star Nate Diaz were also in attendance at the VIP media launch in New York.
“Scott Coker just knows how to build young talents. I started fighting in Strikeforce. He’s really famous for not just investing in women’s MMA but investing in young talents as a whole. I’m happy to support him. He’s bringing back old martial arts to MMA,” Cyborg said.
Cris Cyborg has consistently succeeded as a multi-time women’s world champion across multiple MMA promotions, including the UFC and credits her lifestyle by not drinking or partying and eating clean.
MMA legends such as Randy Couture, Royce Gracie, Frank Shamrock and Fedor Emelianenko were also attending Cipriani to support Coker’s new venture.
“I think this promotion will bring martial arts back to this sport. MMA has transitioned more towards prize fighting instead of the root of what martial arts is all about such as integrity and responsibility,” Couture said.
Couture believes moral treatment of fighters is integral in building an organization, especially promoters that have integrity which he considers is very rare in combat sports.
“Scott’s always shown a ton of integrity to the fighters and taking care of them. That’s why I think a lot of free agents are going to gravitate towards this new organization because they know they’re going to get a fair shake,” Couture said.
Royce Gracie believes Scott Coker is always on a quest of finding new talents and looking for the next generational fighter.
“There’s so many talents out there. There’s not enough promotions to keep the fighters busy. It’s always good to have a new promotion because the amount of talents out there haven’t been discovered yet,” Gracie said.
Ki MMA enters a crowded market led by the UFC with the PFL, ONE Championship and Japan’s RIZIN FC also competing for fighters, media distribution and gaining an international audience.
Nonetheless, Coker’s record of building Strikeforce and Bellator gives his new venture the immediate credibility needed within the sport.
Coker claims what will differentiate Ki MMA from every other promotion will primarily be due to featured tournaments that’s missing in the sport.
“There’s no tournaments in MMA right now. UFC’s not doing it. No one else is doing it. There’s no world class tournament compared to what we’re going to do. Everyone understands you win or you go home. If you go to traditional martial arts classes, you’re always fighting in a tournament. MMA has always been a tournament format. The sport just got away from it,” Coker said.
Coker claims Ki MMA is sticking to the featherweight class at 145 lbs with fighters who are between 18 to 25 years old with eight to ten fights already on their records.
“I take a lot of pride in the athletes that we’ve developed over the years. When I signed Daniel Cormier, he had no fights. Ronda Rousey had two fights. We’re really good at being identifiers and builders. That’s what we’re doing here,” Coker said.
The company did not disclose broadcast partners or a timetable announcing its first group of athletes on its roster.
“Some of the most rewarding moments of my career have been watching fighters go from prospects to stars on the world stage and that’s what we’re setting out to do with Ki MMA,” Coker said.
