Scott Coker launches Ki MMA with 32-fighter tournament and 2027 debut planned

Scott Coker has launched Ki MMA, a new mixed martial arts promotion backed by $60 million in funding and built around a planned 32-fighter featherweight tournament. According to BBC Sport, the former Bellator president is targeting an opening event in early 2027, although some details still need to be settled.

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The proposed tournament would take the promotion to North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Alongside that competition, Ki MMA plans to stage bouts involving established fighters. Coker told the BBC he expects to begin signing free agents in around two to three months, setting out a recruitment timetable ahead of the intended debut rather than announcing a completed roster.

The launch is Coker’s first business venture since his time leading Bellator, which the Professional Fighters League acquired in 2023. Now 63, he said conditions across the sport had persuaded him there was room for another promotion. He also pledged to put fighters first and treat them respectfully, making their treatment a stated priority for the new organisation.

Finding emerging talent is another part of the project. Coker said his team had been visiting gyms in cities including Tokyo and Paris to identify prospects. He expects developing that group of fighters to take several years, while believing the tournament format can accelerate their progress. The approach combines a search for less established athletes with the planned recruitment of recognisable names for separate headline bouts.

Coker’s record in talent development includes his work at Strikeforce with Daniel Cormier and Ronda Rousey. As BBC Sport reported, Cormier made his professional debut in Strikeforce before becoming a UFC champion in two weight divisions. Rousey had contested two professional fights before Coker signed her. Those careers provide the background to his stated ambition to build new stars through Ki MMA.

The promotion is also intended to use a ring instead of a cage, reflecting Coker’s interest in Japan’s martial arts history and the former Pride organisation. He argued that rings offer spectators clearer views and prevent fighters from using the cage to pin opponents in place. That is his proposed direction for Ki MMA, with the early-2027 launch still a target as the remaining arrangements are finalised.