Scott Coker confident Ki MMA 'will have a star' built through featherweight grand prix

NEW YORK – Scott Coker is officially back and ready to build his new mixed martial arts promotion from the ground up.

On Monday during a news conference at Cipriani 25 Broadway, Coker revealed the name and details for his new company, which was first announced to be in the works in May. Ki MMA, the name stemming from the Japanese word "ki" meaning "spirit, mind, and energy," will be Coker's fourth promotion that he has either founded or led, along with Strikeforce, Bellator MMA, and Fight Night at the Tech.

Coker's latest project, backed by $60 million in funding, includes familiar names serving as Coker's right hand mend, including former Bellator matchmaker Rich Chou and media executive Peter Levin, who joined him at Monday's unveiling.

"This is gonna be a great journey, and I get to do it with a lot of familiar faces and a lot of friends," Coker told MMA Junkie, "and we're going to put together a company that I think is going to be strong, well built, and have the pillars that are going to sustain for years to come."

Ki MMA fights will take place in a ring, another nod to Japanese tradition, as opposed to a customary cage, and the idea is to identify up-and-coming talent that can be built into household names. The way to do this? Tournaments.

Starting in 2027, Ki MMA will host a 32-man featherweight grand prix, with eight fighters from each of the following continents: North America, South America, Asia, and Europe. Each continent will send one representative to the semifinals, and the tournament will conclude with the finalists having to partake in two fights in one night.

While tournaments are not normally part of the modern MMA landscape, it's a format that should help Ki MMA stand out and one Coker believes in deeply.

"I do feel strongly about tournaments building stars quickly," Coker said. "By the end of the year, we will have a star, and we will have a new champion. We might have two or three (fighters) that we really like. I really love the format, and I've always loved it. I feel like martial arts should be a tournament format, really. Look at Pride, look at K1, look at UFC. Yes, will the fighters have to dig deep because of fighting two times in one night at the end? That's going to be tough, but that's why you've got to have your ki together. You've got to dig deep. … It's the mindset and fighting through barriers."

In addition to the featherweight grand prix, Coker said Ki MMA will pursue available notable free agents – such as former Bellator title challenger Michael Page, who just fouught out his UFC contract – although he's not had any conversations.