Scott Coker launches Ki MMA, reveals why events will take place in a ring, not a cage

Scott Coker has touched upon one of the biggest talking points to have emerged from the first look at the combat setup of his brand-new MMA organization, Ki MMA. Coker explained why Ki MMA matches will go down inside a ring, not a cage. 

The Ki MMA launch event featured several dignitaries such as MMA icon and former Pride FC heavyweight kingpin Fedor Emelianenko, former two-division UFC champion Randy Couture, UFC legend Nate Diaz, multi-organization world champion Cris Cyborg, and more. 

Scott Coker reveals Ki MMA as his new MMA venture, Grand Prix and tournament fighting targeted

Scott Coker revealed that the Ki MMA organization's first fights are expected to take place in 2027. 

It's noteworthy that Ki MMA has confirmed that it'll hold Grand Prix tournaments, with the first being a 32-man featherweight (145-pound) tournament. It'll comprise fighters from four continents -- North America, South America, Asia, and Europe.

Coker also suggested that the tournaments would witness fighters competing multiple times in one night. Moreover, the four continental champions -- crowned from the single-elimination tournaments continentally -- will clash against each other in a global live finale to determine the inaugural Ki MMA featherweight champion. 

The Ki MMA representatives emphasized that they're primarily seeking young fighters (in the 18-25 age range), probably with less than 10 fights on their MMA record, for the tournament; albeit there could be exceptions. Coker and co. indicated that the aim is to build new stars, in addition to hiring the biggest free agents on the market to create a healthy balance of fresh talent and veterans in Ki MMA. 

Veteran promoter Scott Coker adds Ki MMA to his list of combat sports ventures

Scott Coker is known to be a martial artist as well as a prominent combat sports promoter, who's been involved in a promotional capacity with various kickboxing and mixed martial arts organizations since the 1980s.

His association with ISKA (International Sport Karate Association), Strikeforce (kickboxing) through the 1980s to 2006, and K-1 kickboxing earned him considerable laudation.

Additionally, Coker notably founded and helmed Strikeforce (MMA) from 2006 to 2013, leading to the UFC's eventual acquisition of it. He later joined Bellator MMA as its president and is credited with building stars such as Usman Nurmagomedov under that banner, serving the organization from 2014 until PFL's acquisition of Bellator in 2023. 

Coker had lately been making waves by hinting at the launch of a new MMA organization he's founded, with $60 million in capital. Well, he -- alongside longtime associates and friends such as Rich Chou and Peter Levin -- unraveled the name of the new promotion. It's named Ki MMA, drawing from the traditional martial arts concept of "Ki" that implies energy. 

Coker serves as the Ki MMA co-founder, while Chou is the EVP (Executive Vice President) of athlete relations, and Levin is the co-founder and Chairman. 

Scott Coker explains why Ki MMA will hold fights in a ring, not a cage

Generally, most modern-day MMA organizations in North America, including the world's consensus premier mixed martial arts company, the UFC, hold their MMA fights in a cage rather than a ring. On the contrary, in Japan's top promotions, such as the erstwhile Pride FC and the current Rizin FF, the ring is the environment in which fights take place. 

During the Ki MMA launch press conference in New York on September 14, Scott Coker was asked about why the organization's MMA fights would transpire in a ring. Coker responded by alluding to his time as the Strikeforce MMA head honcho and how Strikeforce -- which held its MMA bouts in a cage -- was originally set to use a ring. 

Coker stated, "So, I'll tell you a story. In 2006, when we did Shamrock vs. Gracie, actually, it was in San Jose. It was the very first fight in the (US) state of California. And the athletic commission gave me the first fight, so now I was able to promote it. So, I told them we were going to do a ring, and the ring is going to be 24-by-24. I gave them all the dimensions."

He continued, "And they said, 'Oh, no. The ring is not allowed. And the ring has to wait. You have to wait eight months. And if you do wait, then we're going to let somebody else go in front of you.' And then I said, 'Oh, no. I'm not gonna let those guys go in front of me.'" 

Referencing old-school MMA traditions and the different viewing experience that comes with a ring, Coker said: 

"I said we'll just have to s**k it up and make Strikeforce a ring; I mean, a cage sport. But, really, Strikeforce was intended to be a ring sport. And that just goes back to all the fights in Japan, and the viewing when you're at a fight in Japan, and with Pride (Pride Fighting Championships) back in the day. It's just great viewing through the ring. And that really was -- I think the beginning of MMA fights was in a ring." 

Watch Scott Coker discuss the Ki MMA fight setting being a ring, rather than a cage, below (*comments at the 23:04-minute mark of the video):