Scott Coker is back in the MMA business.

The Hollywood Reporter brought word that Coker has garnered $60 million in financial backing to lead a new MMA league in 2027. The promotion doesn’t have a name at this time, but Creator Sports Capital is the lead investment firm. Griffin Gaming Partners is also involved. The company has key NFL and NBA stakeholders involved as well. Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk is an investor.

In a press release, Coker revealed that he had always planned to return to the combat sports space. He said it was a matter of timing and the right opportunity.

“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.”

Coker has been known for running Bellator MMA and Strikeforce to varying degrees of success. Strikeforce was purchased by Zuffa LLC in 2011. The promotion dissolved two years later, but Coker ended up replacing Bjorn Rebney as the Bellator president. In 2023, PFL acquired Bellator MMA.

Griffin Gaming Partners’ Peter Levin is a co-founder of the unnamed MMA league. He will also serve as the chairman of the board. Levin shared some words about his venture into the combat sports space.

“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.”

Kevin Kay, who served as the president of Spike TV/Paramount Network, will be part of the MMA league’s advisory group.

What do you make of Scott Coker’s return to the MMA scene? Can he achieve long-term success, or will his latest venture eventually fizzle out? Share your thoughts in the comments below.