Scott Coker told BBC Sport that MMA had fallen into “a bit of a funk,” and that is what pushed him to build Ki MMA, the $60 million promotion he plans to launch in the first quarter of 2027.
“My body of work speaks for itself, I’ve done a lot in this sport and this space and I started coming to the conclusion that martial arts was in a bit of a funk,” Coker said. “The UFC had started their Paramount deal, PFL was shaking a bit, so I thought there needed to be something to shake up the sport again.”
It’s a pointed read of the market from a man who founded Strikeforce and later ran Bellator until the PFL acquired it. Coker revealed the Ki MMA name at a New York press conference on September 14, and the BBC interview adds his reasoning behind the ring, the tournament and the talent search.
Why Ki MMA Is Swapping The Cage For A Ring
Every Ki MMA fight will take place inside a ring, and Coker framed the decision as a viewing problem as much as a style choice.
“I’m sitting right at the cage, and once they go to the side, I end up watching the whole fight on the big screen,” Coker said. “With the ring you have better viewing and more action because a fighter can’t hold you against the cage and control you.”
Reuters reported that the format reflects Coker’s longstanding interest in Japanese combat sports. It also puts Ki MMA at odds with the UFC, the PFL and nearly every other major promotion, all of which use a cage.
A 32-Man Grand Prix At Featherweight
The launch centers on a 145-pound World Grand Prix. Four eight-man brackets in North America, South America, Europe and Asia will produce four Continental Champions, who then meet at a one-night final. According to the promotion, the eventual champion has to win five bouts, including two on the final night. Coker first floated the single-weight-class tournament in May.
No fighters have been announced, and there is no broadcast partner yet. Ki MMA says event dates, host cities and broadcast details will come ahead of the 2027 debut.
Building Stars From Scratch
Coker leaned on his Strikeforce record, where he developed fighters including Ronda Rousey and Daniel Cormier, to explain how Ki MMA plans to find its first stars.
“I don’t think anyone has built stars from scratch like we have in the past,” Coker said. “We will be in the star building business and the star searching business and that’s what we’re doing, searching for diamonds in the rough. We’re gonna go mining.”
The search is backed by $60 million in financing led by Creator Sports Capital, with Griffin Gaming Partners, D.C. United owner Steve Kaplan and Tony Hawk among the investors. Griffin co-founder Peter Levin serves as Ki MMA’s chairman, and Coker confirmed the funding and his return in May.
