New MMA league backed by Tony Hawk set to launch in 2027 with $60 million deal

MMA pioneer Scott Coker is getting back in the business with a new league.

Founder of MMA franchises Strikeforce and Bellator, Coker, who discovered legends like Ronda Rousey and Daniel Cormier, has announced his return to build a new international MMA league.

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Coker is joined as co-founder by Peter Levin, who has previously worked with fighters like Randy Couture and Dan Henderson, to launch the tournament-style league.

The venture launches with an initial $60million in funding led by Creator Sports Capital.

Steve Kaplan, owner of MLS club DC United, skateboarding icon Tony Hawk, and others with ownership stakes in both the NFL and NBA, are among the additional investors.

Coker will serve as the company’s CEO while Levin joins as Chairman of the Board.

Coker’s new dream

“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.

“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.”

Strikeforce was founded by Coker in 1985 and created stars such as Rousey, Cormier, Nick Diaz and Cris Cyborg.

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In 2009, the promotion, which was later sold to the UFC, signed Fedor Emelianenko, who is widely viewed as one of the greatest fighters of all time.

Coker also built Bellator, which launched the careers of soon-to-be UFC stars Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler, to name a few, and was later sold to the PFL.

“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.”

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The yet-to-be-named MMA league has plans to debut in the first quarter of 2027.

MMA trending like never before

Coker’s announcement comes less than a week after Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) held its first MMA event on Netflix.

It also marked Netflix’s first venture into the sport, and Rousey’s rapid submission win over Gina Carano peaked at 11.6million viewers, making it the most-watched MMA event of all time in the US.

MMA has been said to have grown into a $20billion-plus market with more than 625 million fans worldwide.

Industry projections suggest it could become the world’s third most-watched sport by 2035.

MMA also heads to the White House next month, with the UFC’s show on the South Lawn becoming the first-ever professional sports show to take place at the home of a sitting president.

Coker will no doubt face questions about the need for another MMA promotion after so many have failed previously.

Last year, the newly launched Global Fight League collapsed when the promotion announced its primary investor had pulled out of funding.

Others like Affliction and EliteXC have tried and failed in the past.

But Coker hopes that, just like his previous ventures with Strikeforce and Bellator, he can provide a genuine competitor to the UFC moving forward.