Scott Coker is returning to MMA promotion with a $60 million league, a January 2027 launch target, and a blunt read on why another serious fight company can find room in a UFC-dominated market.
The former Strikeforce founder and Bellator president recently announced the new league with major investors, including Tony Hawk. On The Ariel Helwani Show, Coker said the plan starts with 12 events in year one, one tournament, and regular super fights instead of a weekly UFC-style schedule.
“I feel like there’s a little bit of a funk in the MMA space right now, right? And I don’t know what it is. It’s not like I say this is what it is, but I just feel it’s just a little bit. It’s got a funk to it right now. So, you know, let’s go stir it up.”
Watch the full interview below:
Coker used MVP’s MMA push as an example of a different product getting fans to pay attention. MVP has already leaned into crossover energy, and Nakisa Bidarian has said the company is “100%” in the MMA business.
“The thing with MVP, you know, like their show, hey, they’re stirring it up. They’re stirring up the pot. It gets people excited. It gets people, you know, to root for somebody and then we’re gonna do the same. People are going to root for us, too, and we’re going to go stir it up.”
“So, to me, I think the sport needs a little bit of shaking the cage, you know, and something it’s really we’re really good at.”
Coker Points To UFC’s Weekly Schedule While Mapping Out A Smaller Start
Coker did not frame UFC as vulnerable. He framed the product as constant, and maybe too constant.
“I mean to me it looks consistent. It’s kind of weird because if you say who are the, you know, like name four champions from the UFC in the weight classes, I don’t think I could do it right now. And I think a lot of my friends can’t do it right now.”
“Maybe it’s too much. It’s on every week in front of your face.”
When Helwani asked how many events the new league wants to run, Coker said the promotion will do 12 in its first year. He also said the long-term sweet spot could be 24 events per year.
The tournament piece will be limited. Coker said the promotion will not be “tournament only,” and Uncrowned’s transcript of the interview matched the key format point: “We’re not going to be a tournament-only. We’re going to put on great superfights. There’s only going to be one tournament [in 2027].”
Coker also said the promotion does not have an exact launch date yet, but January 2027 is the target month.
Coker founded Strikeforce as a kickboxing organization in 1985, moved it into MMA, and ran its first MMA event in San Jose in 2006. Zuffa bought Strikeforce in 2011. Coker later became Bellator president in 2014, where he moved the promotion away from a strict tournament format before Bellator was eventually sold to PFL.
The $60 million raise was another big part of the interview. Coker said the money gives the company at least five years of runway.
“We wrote a business plan, we had all the financials. We said, ‘OK, this is what we need to operate. This [initial investment money is] going to last at least five years, because we’re going to go out and make money.’”
Here is the clip of Coker discussing the funding:
Scott Coker is asked about raising $60M. Says it will last at least 5 years. #HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/bsL2B0rtpc
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) June 2, 2026
Coker said fight promotion punishes people who learn the business while spending investor cash.
“There’s a learning curve in this business. And if you don’t know it, you’re going to be paying crazy money out because you don’t know it. And you know what? I’ve been in the business almost four decades now. I know this business.”
He said the group closed its original funding before more offers came in, including another $20 million offer, one for $10 million, and two for $5 million. Coker said they could have raised $100 million, but control was the line.
“We closed a deal, all the money came into the account, and two more offers came in. True story. Another offer for $20 million, one for $10 million, two for $5 million, and [they] wanted to come in so we could raise $100 million just like that. But we said no. I don’t want it. Because I don’t want to be diluted to where I don’t control the company.”
“So when the money got offered after we closed, I said, ‘No. I’m not doing it. I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m going to be losing control of this company.’ I don’t ever want that to happen. We turned away that $40 million.”
UFC still controls the biggest platform in the sport, and Dana White continues to defend the company’s business model. Coker’s plan is a smaller calendar, one tournament, super fights, and enough funding to build without chasing UFC’s weekly volume from day one.
