Scott Coker launches new MMA promotion backed by Hollywood and finance heavyweights

Scott Coker, the executive who built both Strikeforce and Bellator into major MMA organisations, announced on Thursday that he is returning to the sport as CEO of a new, as-yet-unnamed promotion targeting a 2027 launch. The venture — potentially operating under a variation of the name “Strike MMA,” though that may be a working title — is backed by a consortium of investors drawn from entertainment, finance, and sport.

The investor and advisory group includes Kevin Kay, former president of both Paramount and Spike TV; Wade Davis, ex-CFO of Viacom; Steve Mosko, former chair of Sony Pictures Television; and Steve Kaplan, owner of D.C. United and principal of a major asset management firm. Skateboarding icon Tony Hawk is also among the backers. Coker is co-founding the promotion alongside Peter Levin, co-founder of Griffin Gaming Partners, who previously supported Strikeforce before its acquisition by the UFC.

In a press release, Coker framed the project as a deliberate, athlete-centred alternative in the current MMA landscape. “I always knew I wanted to come back when the time was right, with the right vision and a carefully curated team,” he said. “There is an incredible demand for a fresh, new global brand in MMA. This new league is about returning to what matters: the integrity of competition, respect for the athletes and sharing their remarkable journeys with the world.”

Coker added that he has spent nearly two years developing the concept, describing the promotion as something that “belongs to the athletes and to the fans who live and breathe this sport.”

Levin, speaking in the same release, praised Coker’s track record in combat sports. “Scott is a generational operator in the world of combat sports. He has proven time and again that he can scale a business globally and profitably. His ‘fighter-first’ orientation has earned him loyalty and admiration from MMA athletes across generations.”

The finer operational details — including the event schedule and competitive format — have not yet been finalised. This marks Coker’s third significant venture in MMA promotion; he also ran a series of smaller events in San Jose, California, in recent years while laying the groundwork for a larger project. With a high-profile investor group now in place and a 2027 target on the horizon, the new organisation represents the most ambitious step yet in that process.