Scott Coker’s new MMA promotion is called Ki MMA, and its fights will take place in a ring rather than a cage.
The name landed Monday night in New York, first reported by Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie ahead of the 6 p.m. ET presentation at Cipriani 25 Broadway that Coker’s group had scheduled as a livestream announcement.
Ki is pronounced “key,” a Japanese term for spirit, energy and life force, and the promotion paired it with the slogan “Ki: The Force Within The Fighter.” The ring is a nod in the same direction, breaking from the cage used by the UFC, PFL and nearly every other major promotion.
Coker is joined by Peter Levin as co-founder and chairman of the board, with longtime matchmaker Rich Chou running athlete relations. Chou worked alongside Coker at both Strikeforce and Bellator.
A 32-Man Featherweight Grand Prix Across Four Continents
The launch centerpiece is a 32-fighter World Grand Prix at 145 pounds, divided across North America, South America, Asia and Europe. Each region supplies eight fighters who work through qualifying events until one continental winner remains.
Those four meet in the Grand Prix finale, where the semifinal winners fight twice in one night to crown the first Ki MMA featherweight champion. Coker confirmed cards will also carry bouts outside the tournament weight class.
The inaugural event is targeted for the first quarter of 2027. Markets under consideration include San Jose, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, France, Budapest and possibly Italy. Coker had outlined the single-weight-class tournament idea back in May, but Monday was the first time the bracket structure and regional split were spelled out.
Coker Opens The Bidding On Free Agents
No roster signings were announced. The stated plan is to develop fighters in the 18 to 25 range while staying aggressive in free agency, and Coker made that pitch directly from the stage.
“We have a budget that will allow us to get any free agents, so give us a call,” Coker said.
The budget behind that line is $60 million in financing led by Creator Sports Capital, with Griffin Gaming Partners, Upper Deck, D.C. United owner Steve Kaplan, Visional founder Swimmy Minami, former Fortress Investment Group vice chairman Dean Dakolias and Tony Hawk among the backers. Coker confirmed his return with that funding in May.
Not everyone is convinced. Jake Paul, whose Most Valuable Promotions ran its first MMA card this year, wrote on X in May that the people writing those checks are going to “lose all their money.”
Coker exited Bellator in 2024 after the PFL acquisition and has kept a low profile since, promoting Fight Night cards in San Jose while assembling the group unveiled Monday.
