Scott Coker outlines Ki MMA recruitment plans ahead of 2027 launch

Scott Coker has outlined plans to recruit both emerging fighters and established free agents for Ki MMA, as the new promotion works towards its first event in early 2027. In an interview published by BBC Sport on October 6, the former Bellator president said his team was already searching for talent, while some launch details remained unresolved.

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Coker told the BBC that scouts had been visiting gyms in cities including Tokyo and Paris. He said he hoped to begin signing established free agents in around two to three months, with those athletes intended to appear in separate showcase fights. Developing a new group of fighters would take years, he acknowledged, although he believes tournament competition can accelerate that process.

The competition structure was detailed at the promotion's September unveiling. According to Sherdog's reporting on the announcement, 32 featherweights will be divided between four regional tournaments, with eight athletes in each. North America, South America, Europe and Asia are the planned locations for those single-elimination competitions, whose winners will earn continental titles.

Those four champions would then advance to a final event featuring both semifinals and the championship fight on the same night. Under the announced format, the eventual overall champion would need five victories across the regional and final stages. Sherdog also reported plans for bouts in additional weight classes, alongside the featherweight competition and appearances by established names.

MMA Fighting reported that veteran matchmaker Rich Chou, who worked with Coker at Strikeforce and Bellator, would join the venture. Its launch coverage identified featherweight as the 145-pound division and confirmed that the promotion intended to stage fights in a ring, rather than the cage used by many other major MMA organisations.

Coker told BBC Sport that a ring would improve spectators' view and prevent fighters from holding opponents against a cage. These are his stated reasons for choosing that setup for the new promotion.

The BBC reported that the project has $60 million in backing. Coker continues to target an early-2027 opening event, but said details still needed to be finalised.