Ki MMA co-founder Scott Coker explains why promotion favors ring over cage
Scott Coker believes in breaking the status quo, and among the several changes he wants to introduce in Ki MMA is returning to a ring in place of a cage, which has been the centerpiece for nearly every other promotion in recent years.
Scott Coker wants to be at the helm of change. Ki MMA, his latest creation, promises to be an interesting departure from the UFC, PFL, and every other major promotion in the sport. This time, the change he plans to introduce is actually a return to a bygone era.
A ring instead of a cage: Scott Coker makes his case
From its name to its proposed ruleset, Ki MMA is an homage to the glory days of Japanese MMA. Specifically, it's an homage to PRIDE FC, which was once the biggest MMA promotion in the world, with the kind of pageantry and spectacle the UFC rarely implements, even with billions of dollars in their pockets. It was also home to some of the greatest legends the sport has ever seen, like Fedor Emelianenko, AntĆ´nio 'Big Nog' Rodrigo Nogueira, and Kazushi Sakuraba, all of whom fought in a ring.
To capture some of that PRIDE FC spirit, Ki MMA will also use a ring instead of a cage, and when asked to further explain his reasoning, Scott Coker not only touched on PRIDE FC's influence, but also referenced Strikeforce's inaugural event, which pitted Frank Shamrock against Cesar Gracie in a main event he says was originally planned for a ring.
"So, I'll tell you a story. In 2006, when we did Shamrock vs. Gracie, actually in San Jose, it was the very first fight in the state of California. So, I told them we're going to do a ring and the ring's going to be 24 by 24 . I gave them all the dimensions and they said, 'Oh, no. The ring's not allowed, and the ring has to wait. You have to wait 8 months.' And I said, 'Oh, no.' I said, 'We'll just have to suck it up and make Strikeforce a cage, but really Strikeforce was intended to be a ring sport. And that just goes back to all the fights in Japan, with PRIDE back in the day. It's just great viewing through the ring."
Rings are synonymous with combat sports, but it's more than just the ring that Ki MMA will use to emulate PRIDE FC. As previously mentioned, Coker is in favor of reintroducing some of the rules that defined the peak of Japanese MMA. Among those rules is the legalization of knees to the head of a grounded opponent, while maintaining the mainstream ban on soccer kicks and stomps to the head of a grounded opponent. This has drawn praise from WMMA legend Cris Cyborg, who has twice fought under promotions that Coker has led, those being Strikeforce and later Bellator.
While there's still no news on which fighters will make the move to Ki MMA, as the promotion is still in its infancy, Cyborg has already teased potentially fighting for Coker for a third time. It was a match made in heaven before, and third time's the charm, so there's no reason why she can't be the face of his WMMA divisions again. Especially with a ruleset that appeals to her soul as a Chute Box fighter.
