Scott Coker launches Ki MMA with 32-fighter global grand prix set for 2027

Scott Coker has officially named his new MMA promotion Ki MMA and revealed its flagship format: a 32-fighter featherweight World Grand Prix that will span four continents when the organisation launches in the first quarter of 2027. Coker is co-founding the venture alongside Peter Y. Levin.

The inaugural Ki MMA World Grand Prix will divide 32 featherweights into four eight-man continental tournaments covering North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Each regional bracket will run on a single-elimination basis, with the four continental champions then converging on a one-night World Grand Prix Final consisting of two semifinals and a championship bout. That structure means the first Ki MMA champion will have to win five consecutive fights to claim the title.

“We’re giving fighters across four continents a clear path to becoming our first World Grand Prix champion,” Coker said in a press release. “We want to build stars while staying true to the discipline, character and respect that drew us to martial arts in the first place.”

Beyond the grand prix, Ki MMA will also stage “Super Fights” featuring established fighters and additional bouts across multiple weight classes. All contests will take place inside a ring rather than a cage — a deliberate stylistic choice that sets the promotion apart from the sport’s dominant organisations.

Levin struck a measured tone on the organisation’s ambitions. “We’re building Ki MMA for the long term, with the resources, team, and discipline to grow responsibly,” he said.

Coker spent more than a decade building Strikeforce and then Bellator into major MMA brands before departing Bellator following its merger with PFL in 2023. Ki MMA represents his return to promotion, and the grand prix format echoes structures he previously used to generate marquee matchups and elevate fighters to wider recognition.

Events are planned across North America, Europe, Asia and South America, though specific host cities and dates for the 2027 launch have not yet been announced.