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Tag: Scott Coker

  • Scott Coker Plans Tournament, Free Agent Push For New League

    Scott Coker plans to build his new MMA promotion around a grand prix tournament in a single weight class while buying established free agents from the top down, the same blueprint he used to grow Strikeforce.

    The veteran promoter detailed the strategy in an interview with Scott Fontana of the New York Post, days after announcing the new venture with $60 million in backing. Coker said the tournament structure and free-agent spending will work together rather than as competing approaches.

    “The tournament format is gonna build new stars, but also we’re gonna buy free agents from the top down, just like we built Strikeforce,” Coker said.

    He pointed to the careers his Strikeforce front office launched alongside the marquee names it acquired. “Strikeforce was a league that we built from the bottom up. Which means we signed Daniel Cormier, who had no fights. Ronda Rousey. No fights. We had all these great fighters that had no fights and we built their careers, but we also bought, let’s say Fedor’s contract,” Coker said.

    Coker said proven talent will be “sprinkled in” with developing fighters in the new promotion. He has described the approach as “fighter procurement,” calling it a strength of his front offices at both Strikeforce and Bellator.

    Coker Targets January 2027 Launch

    Coker is aiming to debut in January 2027, and not with a single card. “It’s going to be bang-bang-bang, bang-bang-bang,” he told the New York Post. “It’s going to be a gauntlet of events that we produce in the first half of the year.”

    He is targeting 12 events in 2027, followed by 18 in 2028 and 22 in 2029, with shows planned across the United States as well as European and Asian markets. The first-year tournament will crown a champion in one marquee division and feature a field Coker says will run “way north of eight,” larger than the eight-fighter grand prix he staged at Strikeforce and Bellator.

    The promotion enters a crowded market. The UFC remains the sport’s dominant force, the PFL absorbed Coker’s former home Bellator in a late 2023 sale, and Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions staged its first MMA card on Netflix earlier this month. Coker’s plan to outbid for established talent mirrors a wider push by newer promotions, with Jake Paul detailing his own plan to raid the UFC roster.

  • Scott Coker Plans New MMA League To Challenge UFC In 2027

    Scott Coker is returning to the promoter’s chair with a new global MMA league, and he has $60 million in financing lined up to take on the UFC and the PFL. The veteran promoter plans to launch the still unnamed venture globally in early 2027.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, funding is led by investment firm Creator Sports Capital, with participation from Griffin Gaming Partners. The investor group also includes trading card company Upper Deck, D.C. United owner and Oaktree Capital co-founder Steve Kaplan, Visional founder and New York Yankees limited partner Swimmy Minami, skateboarding icon Tony Hawk, and former Fortress Investment Group vice-chairman Dean Dakolias. The founders say the backers include several people with ownership stakes in NFL and NBA franchises.

    Coker will serve as co-founder and CEO. Peter Levin of Griffin Gaming Partners, who was an advisor and investor in Coker’s Strikeforce, takes the co-founder and board chairman roles. The advisory group features former TelevisaUnivision CEO and ex-Viacom CFO Wade Davis, former Sony Pictures Television chairman Steve Mosko, and Kevin Kay, the former president of Paramount Network, CMT, Spike TV and TV Land.

    The pitch leans on a gap the founders see in the sport. MMA has grown into a market worth more than $20 billion with over 625 million fans worldwide, yet the founders argue that professional fighters across more than 40 countries still lack a clear path to elite competition. The new league says it wants to place athletes at the center of the sport, a positioning that sets it against the UFC, where Dana White has handed off fighter contract negotiations to other TKO Group executives.

    From Strikeforce To A New Challenger

    Coker founded Strikeforce, which grew into a genuine UFC rival before it was sold to the UFC in 2011. He took over Bellator MMA in 2014 and ran it for close to a decade, but did not move with the brand when the PFL acquired Bellator in late 2023. Bellator now operates as part of the PFL’s restructured tournament system.

    The founders pointed to Coker’s history of finding and developing fighters such as Daniel Cormier, Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano during the Strikeforce era.

    “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,” Coker 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.”

    Benjamin Grubbs, co-founder and co-managing partner of Creator Sports Capital, framed the bet on Coker directly. “Scott Coker is one of the few operators in combat sports who has built winning franchises at a global scale, and he has done it by putting athletes first,” Grubbs said.

    Details Still To Come

    The full leadership team is expected to be named in the coming weeks. The league’s name, format, participating regions and event schedule have not been announced.

    A 2027 debut would drop Coker’s promotion into a market led by TKO Group’s UFC, run by Dana White, with the PFL operating as the clear number two.

  • Coker On Harrison/PFL: I Hope They Can Find Someone For Her To Fight

    Bellator president Scott Coker is questioning Kayla Harrison’s decision to re-sign with the PFL and not sign with either Bellator or the UFC.

    Harrison concluded her free agency this week when she opted to re-sign with the PFL on a multi-year deal. She also had conversations with the UFC and Bellator before ultimately deciding to stay loyal to PFL.

    Coker and Bellator pitched the top offer to Harrison before the PFL matched shortly afterward.

    Some around MMA remain concerned about Harrison’s level of competition in the PFL, despite the league signing former Bellator champion Julia Budd and boxing superstar Claressa Shields. Nevertheless, Harrison remains intent on accomplishing her goals in the PFL and seems confident that the league will bring top talent to face her.

    During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Coker opined that Harrison could have ongoing issues finding elite competition in the PFL.

    “With Kayla right now, I don’t know who she’s gonna fight over there,” Coker said of Harrison. “She’s got to fight the girls that are the dominant girls in that weight class, (who) are Cyborg, to me the greatest female fighter of all time, Amanda Nunes, and then Kayla. She’s growing, she’s doing very well, but she’s got to fight somebody to really showcase that she has that ability to fight at that elite level.

    PFL Harrison vs Dandois
    Kayla Harrison and Cindy Dandois in their lightweight fight at PFL 6 (PHOTO: Cooper Neill / PFL)

    “And that’s why we made a run because Cris Cyborg was like, ‘Look, I’ll fight anybody, and let’s get her on.’ And we said, ‘Hey, that would be a fun fight to promote,’ but listen, it didn’t work out. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t, good for them, but we’re gonna move forward with our business with Cris. We’re in the Cris Cyborg business. I just hope they find somebody to fight Kayla at some point.”

    Harrison is getting ready to compete in the 2022 PFL season and will look to defend her women’s lightweight title. Harrison defeated Taylor Guardado for the PFL Championship last October.

    Harrison had been rumored to be tied to superfights with former UFC champions Amanda Nunes and Cris “Cyborg” Justino. In addition to Harrison’s new deal, the PFL has announced that they will open a “superfight division” to attract top talent to the league.

    Do you think Kayla Harrison made the right move to return to PFL?

  • Scott Coker Reveals Bellator Is In Talks With Jake Paul

    Bellator MMA President Scott Coker has confirmed that his promotion is in talks with rising boxing sensation Jake Paul.

    Paul, who made his name as a widely-followed YouTuber and Disney star, ventured into combat sports in 2020. After victories in the ring over fellow Internet personality AnEsonGib and former NBA athlete Nate Robinson, Paul’s competition increased to MMA veterans in 2021.

    In three outings, “The Problem Child” knocked out Ben Askren in one round and defeated former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley twice, the second of which ended in brutal fashion last December.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXp11JYOGY4/

    Having moved to 5-0 and begun to receive more respect for both his in-ring abilities and apparent pursuit for improved fighter pay outside it, Paul’s prominence on the combat sports circuit continues to rise.

    While his next steps and opponent in the squared circle are unclear, Paul has seemed increasingly keen on trying his hand at MMA in the future, a desire that’s followed constant back and forth with UFC President Dana White.

    That hat feud means an appearance in the Octagon is hard to envision. However, another promotional kingpin would be happy to welcome the Cleveland native in with open arms.

    Coker Tells Paul “We’re Here”

    While White has always refused to entertain the idea of getting the likes of Jake and Logan Paul onboard in the UFC, Bellator’s Coker has consistently displayed the opposite mindset.

    The 59-year-old has previously expressed an interest in doing business with the successful Paul brothers, a sentiment he once again shared during a post-fight media scrum at Bellator 275 in Dublin, Ireland, this past weekend.

    Acknowledging Paul’s hope to extend his record to 10-0 before calling time on his in-ring career, Coker suggested dialogue about a potential move to the Bellator cage soon after Paul’s boxing retirement has occurred.

    “If Jake Paul is serious and wants to do it, we’re here. We’re already talking about (it). You know, when I say talking about it, he’s with Showtime boxing and he did the fight with T-Wood (Tyron Woodley). There’s dialogue… I think he wants to do 10 boxing fights and then come over to MMA,” Coker revealed. (h/t talkSPORT)

    With Coker referencing Paul’s boxing matches with Woodley, it is possible that Bellator is in talks with Paul about boxing a Bellator contracted-fighter as opposed to Paul making the move over to MMA, which would truly be a game-changer for the promotion.

    Given Paul’s exchanges with Dana White, which even included a recent diss track, it would certainly not be surprising to see “The Problem Child” look to deal some damage to the 52-year-old’s promotion by joining one of its largest rivals.

    Would you like to see Jake Paul take Scott Coker up on his offer and enter the Bellator cage?

  • Archives: Meryl Streep Says MMA is Not an Art, MMA World Reacts (2017)

    The original story was published on this day five years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Five Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 9, 2017, 9:21 AM]

    Headline: Meryl Streep Says MMA is Not an Art, Scott Coker & Fighters Disagree

    Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

    An unlikely name has entered the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA) overnight. Renowned actress Meryl Streep accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement award last night (Jan. 8, 2017) at the 74th Golden Globe Awards. During her speech, Streep gave MMA a mention, although it wasn’t a flattering one.

    Here is what she said:

    “Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners. And if we kick them all out you’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts.”

    This prompted responses from some MMA fighters and even Bellator President Scott Coker chimed in. He offered Streep an invitation to see Bellator 170 live in Inglewood, California (via Twitter). Here is his invitation:

    “Meryl,

    I’m a lifelong fan of your work but also a lifelong martial artist who happens to promote mixed martial arts around the world.

    The global sport of mixed martial arts celebrates male and female athletes from all around the world who work years tirelessly honing their craft and- yes- art. They come from every country and every walk of life. We at Bellator support them and honor their skill.

    Please be my guest at the LA Forum on January 21st and you will see that Mixed Martial Arts is truly artistic – which will feature fighters from all over the world competing at a world class level.

    Scott Coker

    President Bellator MMA”

    Others weren’t as kind in their responses. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight Tamdan McCory was none too pleased with Streep’s words:

    https://twitter.com/TheBarnCatMMA/status/818294429970788353

    James Vick was just as heated over the speech as “The Barn Cat” was:

    A prominent name in MMA media, Ariel Helwani, also took issue with Streep’s comments on the sport.

    Even UFC host and reporter Megan Olivi took the actress to task.

    It’s unlikely that Streep will take Coker up on his offer, but never say never in the world of MMA.

  • Scott Coker: Bellator “Would Gladly” Bring Jake Paul Over To MMA

    Bellator President Scott Coker has reiterated his willingness to bring Jake Paul over to MMA should the YouTuber-turned-boxer wish to switch sports.

    As unlikely as it would have seemed a few years ago, Paul, a successful online personality and former Disney star, has become the newest sensation and big name in combat sports. Whether fans like him, hate him, respect him, or wish him to be gone, Paul’s impact in boxing can’t be denied.

    In 2020, Paul began professional boxing venture. “The Problem Child” has built a perfect 5-0 record, with his level of opposition increasing with each appearance. After finishing fellow YouTube celebrity AnEsonGib and former NBA star Nate Robinson, Paul turned his attention to MMA fighters.

    First came Ben Askren. The former ONE and Bellator welterweight champion was stopped inside one round. His friend and teammate Tyron Woodley then took up the challenge. As a former 170-pound UFC titleholder, many expected him to be the one to halt Paul’s presence in the sport.

    Instead, the 24-year-old defeated Woodley twice, once via split decision last August and then by way of a brutal knockout four months later.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXp4XEWlcyd/

    Coker Is Open To Doing Business With Paul

    Paul’s ongoing journey in combat sports has certainly split opinion. While some, criticize the money he earns in boxing, the opposition he’s faced, and his outgoing personality, others have praised his impact in the sport, his willingness to face professional MMA stars, and his decision to speak out against the fighter pay structure in the UFC.

    One man who certainly sits on the positive side of opinion is Bellator kingpin Scott Coker. The 59-year-old has previously expressed interest in doing business with both Jake and Logan Paul. Now, in an interview with MMA Junkie, Coker has once again praised the hard-working mindset of “The Problem Child.”

    “I always said, ‘Look, these guys are real athletes, and they’re young, they work hard, they’re grinding it out. They’re putting in the work. You can’t take that away from them, and they’re getting better and better and better. What you saw with Woodley, that’s a lot of hard work to get to that point. I’ve never seen Woodley get knocked out like that, right? And so, is it just boxing? Yes. So, I always said, ‘Look, man, don’t underestimate these guys,’ and this was like a year-and-a-half ago.”

    Coker went on to reiterate his openness for a business deal between his promotion and Paul. The former Strikeforce CEO suggested that if the 24-year-old wants to make the transition to mixed martial arts, Bellator will be waiting with open arms.

    “If you want to come into MMA, we would gladly do it,” Coker said. “Think about this: He’s not saying, ‘I’m going to go train here. I’m going to go train there.’ He’s going to come to one of the best gyms in the planet, where Khabib is, where Daniel Cormier is still training, where Cain Velasquez is teaching there now, and he’s going to go into an environment that he is going to flourish, and he has a wrestling background already. He has great striking, obviously. You’ve seen it, and so this guy is just going to get better and better and better. The days of him fighting basketball players or whatever, those days are over.

    “He wants to do it. The only thing I will say is, my understanding is he wants to get 10 fights into boxing, and then after that come over to mixed martial arts. I know certain people feel a certain way, but I tell you, don’t underestimate these guys because when they have their minds made up, it just seems like that they’re able to fulfill their destiny, and so to me, it’s something that if they want to make it happen, we would love to do something with them and put them in some big fights and really test them out.”

    Although seemingly committed to more fights inside the squared circle, Paul has appeared open to a move to the cage. In a challenge recently sent to UFC President Dana White, Paul suggested he’d fight welterweight Jorge Masvidal inside the Octagon should White meet a number of clauses, including an increase in the minimum fighter pay number.

    Whether Paul is really open to testing the waters of MMA and the UFC or simply playing on a challenge he knows White won’t accept is up for debate. But one thing is for certain, “The Problem Child” has gone beyond expectation so far. Perhaps he’ll do the same in MMA over the coming years.

    Would you like to see Jake Paul fight inside a UFC or Bellator MMA cage?