Scott Coker formally asks California commission to allow knees to grounded opponents in Ki MMA

Scott Coker has formally requested that the California State Athletic Commission consider allowing knees to the head of a grounded opponent for his newly launched Ki MMA promotion, a rule change that would mark a significant departure from the unified rules governing most North American MMA events.

Coker announced the request on Tuesday, confirming that Ki MMA has asked the CSAC to place the topic on the agenda for a December 1 stakeholders meeting. The proposed change draws from the global MMA ruleset used by promotions such as RIZIN in Japan — a lineage that traces back to the famed PRIDE Fighting Championships — though Coker was explicit that soccer kicks, stomps, and linear knee strikes as defined under Rule 533 are not part of the request.

“I’ve always believed MMA should keep evolving,” Coker said in a statement. “Ki MMA has formally requested a rule change to bring elements of the global MMA rules into the unified rules, excluding soccer kicks, stomps and linear knee strikes as per Rule 533. We’ve asked CSAC to discuss this topic at the Dec. 1 stakeholders meeting.”

Former fighter Josh Thomson confirmed that the specific technique Coker is seeking to legalise is the knee to the head of a grounded opponent — a strike currently prohibited under the unified rules used by the UFC and PFL. Allowing it would give fighters an additional weapon during ground exchanges, potentially reshaping how grappling sequences play out under the Ki MMA banner.

Coker, who previously built and ran both Strikeforce and Bellator, announced his return to combat sports promotion this past September alongside longtime business partner Rich Chou. Ki MMA’s debut event is expected to feature a 32-fighter featherweight grand prix tournament, with bouts contested in a ring rather than a cage — another structural distinction from the sport’s dominant North American promotions.

If the CSAC approves the rule discussion and ultimately grants the change, Ki MMA would become one of the few promotions operating in the United States to permit knees to a downed opponent, further differentiating Coker’s new venture from the UFC and PFL.