Scott Coker is officially plotting his return to the MMA stage, securing $60 million in financing to launch a new fight promotion targeted for 2027.
Coker will serve as CEO and co-founder of the yet-unnamed league alongside Peter Levin of Griffin Gaming Partners. The promotion’s name, format, and fighter signings are expected to be announced in the future.
"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. We are building something authentic, something that belongs to the athletes and to the fans who live and breathe this sport."
Investors in the new league include Upper Deck, Steve Kaplan, Swimmy Minami, Tony Hawk, Dean Dakolias, and others with ownership stakes in NFL and NBA franchises.
"Scott is a generational operator in the world of combat sports," Levin said. "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."
Levin was one of the backers of the Strikeforce organization that was sold to UFC in 2011.
