Scott Coker revealed why his new promotion, Ki MMA, will use a ring instead of a cage. Coker, along with his team, outline the vision for Ki MMA, which will officially launch in 2027.
Although many fans have been accustomed to seeing MMA fights, many promotions have used a ring before.
The ring has been a staple, particularly in Japanese MMA. Promotions such as Pancrase, Pride FC, and now RIZIN have used it. A ring brings a different vibe to the events and will be something that immediately makes Ki MMA different from both the UFC and MVP-PFL.
From a logistics standpoint, a ring also poses different challenges. However, the ring also allows the production team to experiment more with different angles and arena setups.
After his hiatus following PFL’s acquisition of Bellator, Coker returns with aspirations to put on an entertaining product for fans.
Scott Coker Reveals Why Ki MMA Fights Will Not Take Place in a Cage
Scott Coker reveals why he decided to go with a ring for Ki MMA instead of a cage like he did with Strikeforce and later Bellator.
Coker revealed he always liked the idea of MMA in a ring. He actually intended to have Strikeforce fights take place in a ring when he ran the promotion. However, he was forced to make a change because of the commission.
“In 2006, when we did [Frank] Shamrock vs. [Renzo] Gracie, actually in San Jose. It was the very first fight in the state of California, and the athletic commission gave me the first fight. I told them we’re going to do it in a ring, I gave them all the dimensions and they said, ‘Oh no, the ring is not allowed. You have to wait eight months and if you do wait, we’re going to let somebody else go in front of you.’ So I said, ‘We’re just gonna have to suck it up and make Strikeforce in a cage,'” Coker said during the Ki MMA launch event.
“That just goes back to all the fights in Japan and the viewing when you’re at a fight in Japan with Pride back in the day. It’s just great viewing through the ring and that really was, I think the beginning of MMA fights was in a ring.”
Rich Chou Backs Coker for Using a Ring for Ki MMA
Rich Chou, who worked with Coker for years and serving as a Ki MMA executive, backed Coker’s vision. Chou pointed to MMA’s rich history before the UFC as the reason the ring brings purity back to the sport.
“Going back to the roots, honoring the roots of the sport, tradition, things we really value. I mean, MMA started in a ring,” Chou said during the Ki MMA launch event.
He continued:
“In Japan, they’ve bee fighting in a ring since 1985. It’s been around. I wish we can say we’re the first, but again, in the spirit of just embracing the roots and heritage of martial arts, it really makes sense for us. And to Scott’s point, it’s really fun to watch MMA in a ring.”
Scott Coker Reveals Why Ki MMA Fights Will Take Place in a Ring