Scott Coker, known for promoting Strikeforce and Bellator, is returning to mixed martial arts with a new global promotion set to launch in January 2027 [1, 2]. He plans to build the company from the ground up by signing emerging MMA stars and scouting talent worldwide. "We're going to build this company from the ground up, we're going to sign the new stars of the sport and we're going to have scouts all over the world looking to unearth the next diamond in the rough," Coker said [1].
Coker has hired Kevin Kay, a key figure behind the UFC's reality series 'The Ultimate Fighter,' to help drive the new venture [1, 2]. With the rise of streaming platforms and social media, Coker acknowledges the media landscape has shifted significantly since his previous roles. "When you think about where our fans are today, they're on their phones and they're on their tablets, that's just how it is," he said. "We're still attractive for the 18-34 demographic which is attractive for sponsors, but when you talk about linear television, I'm not sure kids are watching MMA on legacy television" [1].
He added that the promotion will include a streaming component to reach global fans, saying, "We're talking to all the different broadcast partners, there has to be a streaming component to it because that's where the fans are, and this is going to be global" [2]. This approach reflects the success of recent MMA events on streaming platforms, such as Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions drawing 17 million viewers on Netflix [1, 2].
Coker previously sold Strikeforce to UFC's parent company in 2011 and stepped down from Bellator in 2024 after it was sold [1, 2]. He expressed confidence in his ability to identify talent, stating, "I'm really excited about it. I don't think anyone has the record that I have in what I'm going to call fighter procurement, and star identification is a big part of this, and no-one has done that in the way that Strikeforce did, or Bellator did" [2].
Scott Coker's new MMA promotion is scheduled to launch in January 2027, marking his formal return to the sport as an independent promoter [1, 2].