Scott Coker Returns to MMA With New $60 Million Fight Promotion
Former Strikeforce and Bellator Executive Announces Ambitious Tournament-Based League Targeting 2027 Launch
The global MMA landscape could soon have a major new player as veteran promoter Scott Coker officially announced his return to combat sports with the launch of a new tournament-style MMA promotion backed by an initial $60 million investment.
Coker, widely recognized as the founder of Strikeforce and the former president of Bellator MMA, revealed that the new organization is aiming for its debut event in the first quarter of 2027. The promotion has not yet announced a name, media partners, or signed fighters, but early details have already generated major discussion throughout the combat sports world.
The project is being co-founded by Peter Levin, managing director of Griffin Gaming Partners and a longtime associate of Coker dating back to the early Strikeforce years. Levin played a key role in securing the promotion’s financial backing and is expected to focus heavily on licensing, merchandising, and global media distribution.
Despite inevitable comparisons to previous MMA startups that struggled to compete with the UFC, Coker believes his decades of experience in martial arts promotion give this new venture a stronger foundation.
“You don’t learn fight promoting from business school,” Coker said. “This is a school of hard knocks.”
Coker’s return comes at an interesting time for the MMA industry. While the UFC remains the dominant force in the sport, recent events have shown growing opportunities for alternative organizations and new broadcast models. Just days before Coker’s announcement, Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions successfully launched its first MMA event alongside Netflix, reportedly attracting millions of live viewers worldwide.
Throughout his career, Coker has been credited with helping build some of the biggest names in MMA history. Strikeforce played a major role in the rise of stars such as Ronda Rousey, Daniel Cormier, Luke Rockhold, Robbie Lawler, Tyron Woodley, and Miesha Tate. The promotion also famously signed heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko during one of the most significant periods in MMA history.
Coker emphasized that his philosophy has never been about directly replacing the UFC, but rather expanding the sport and creating new opportunities for fighters and fans.
“When we built Strikeforce and Bellator, it was always about being additive to the sport,” Coker explained. “This is something I’ve spent almost four decades doing.”
A lifelong martial artist himself, Coker also highlighted the importance of authentic martial arts culture in building the promotion. According to him, identifying future stars goes far beyond records and statistics — it comes down to fighting spirit, personality, and heart.
“The heart of this promotion is finding the next generation of stars,” Coker said. “We will build some stars.”
With major financial backing, decades of promotional experience, and renewed momentum in the global combat sports market, Scott Coker’s return could become one of the most significant MMA business stories heading into 2027.