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Scott Coker announces new MMA league helmed in 2027
21 May 2026 at 21:07
Scott Coker is back.
Per a press release and post on social media on Thursday, the former head of Strikeforce and Bellator MMA announced himself as returning to run a new MMA organization yet to be named at this time. Based on the email correspondence, it may be coined some variation of “Strike MMA,” but that could be a working title. To garner support to put together a new MMA league, Coker has teamed up with several deep-pocketed investors and names familiar with the entertainment industry.
Of note, Kevin Kay, former President of Paramount as well as Spike TV, will be on the investor and advisory group running this org. He has also gained the support of ex-Viacom chief financial officer Wade Davis, former Sony Pictures TV chair Steve Mosko, owner of D.C. United and a massive asset management company Steve Kaplan. In terms of household names, skateboarding icon Tony Hawk will also be chipping in. This promotion will be formed as a collaborative effort between Coker and Griffin Gaming Partners co-founder Peter Levin, who previously served as a proponent of Strikeforce before its acquisition by the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
In his third noteworthy bite at the MMA apple—he did run a few recent events in San Jose, California, while trying to drum up business for a larger project—Coker is just as energized and thrilled as ever.
In his press release, the newly crowned CEO said, “I always knew I wanted to come back when the time was right, with the right vision and a carefully curated team. That time is now. 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. We are building something authentic, something that belongs to the athletes and to the fans who live and breathe this sport. I've spent nearly two years developing this concept, and I'm thankful to Peter, all of our investors and the team we're putting together.”
While the official details are still being worked out, including how the league will operate and how many events they wish to hold, the team is amped up and ready to get going. Levine expressed ample appreciation for Coker’s previous body of work, while sharing excitement for the future.
He explained on the press release, “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 around the globe and across generations. He’s a world-beater, and I’m looking forward, yet again, to embarking on this journey together.”
Per a press release and post on social media on Thursday, the former head of Strikeforce and Bellator MMA announced himself as returning to run a new MMA organization yet to be named at this time. Based on the email correspondence, it may be coined some variation of “Strike MMA,” but that could be a working title. To garner support to put together a new MMA league, Coker has teamed up with several deep-pocketed investors and names familiar with the entertainment industry.
Of note, Kevin Kay, former President of Paramount as well as Spike TV, will be on the investor and advisory group running this org. He has also gained the support of ex-Viacom chief financial officer Wade Davis, former Sony Pictures TV chair Steve Mosko, owner of D.C. United and a massive asset management company Steve Kaplan. In terms of household names, skateboarding icon Tony Hawk will also be chipping in. This promotion will be formed as a collaborative effort between Coker and Griffin Gaming Partners co-founder Peter Levin, who previously served as a proponent of Strikeforce before its acquisition by the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
When the time was right
In his third noteworthy bite at the MMA apple—he did run a few recent events in San Jose, California, while trying to drum up business for a larger project—Coker is just as energized and thrilled as ever.
In his press release, the newly crowned CEO said, “I always knew I wanted to come back when the time was right, with the right vision and a carefully curated team. That time is now. 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. We are building something authentic, something that belongs to the athletes and to the fans who live and breathe this sport. I've spent nearly two years developing this concept, and I'm thankful to Peter, all of our investors and the team we're putting together.”
While the official details are still being worked out, including how the league will operate and how many events they wish to hold, the team is amped up and ready to get going. Levine expressed ample appreciation for Coker’s previous body of work, while sharing excitement for the future.
He explained on the press release, “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 around the globe and across generations. He’s a world-beater, and I’m looking forward, yet again, to embarking on this journey together.”
pic.twitter.com/8FUcgq7I2u— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) May 21, 2026
