The new mixed martial arts (MMA) league from former Bellator president and Strikeforce founder Scott Coker, backed by $60 million by a group of strategic investors, has unveiled its leadership team.
Kevin Kaye, former president of Paramount Network, CMT, Spike TV and TV Land, has been named chief content officer for the league.
Other top executives unveiled by the new MMA player on Tuesday include Tom Fox, who will serve as COO after previously working at Gatorade, NBA Properties and Arsenal FC, Executive Vice President of Athlete Relations Rich Chu, formerly of Strikeforce and Bellator MMA), Paolo Buccotti, Executive Vice President of European Production and Operations, who has worked at Fight Code and Bellator in the past, Lawrence Stewart, Executive Vice President of Media Rights and Business Development, a former CMP and Screenz and ICM executive partner, and former Showtime Sports chief press officer, Chris DeBlasio, who will serve as executive vice president and head of global communications.
“We have assembled a team of outstanding sports leaders who share our values and respect for combat sports,” Coker said. “Tom, Kevin, Rich, Paolo, Lawrence and Chris bring the world-class experience and industry connections needed to move MMA forward, while always honoring its roots and the athletes and fans who have supported the sport from the beginning. Collectively, we see where this sport can go, and we also know where it came from.”
Kai has developed and launched successful content such as Lip sync battle and Yellowstone He was instrumental in building the UFC’s television presence by bringing it to Spike TV. There, he gave the green light for the reality hit The ultimate fighterWhich ran for 14 seasons. Kay’s push into MMA also landed Viacom the Bellator promotion, where he first worked with Coker.
Coker serves as co-founder and CEO of the yet-to-be-named mixed martial arts venture, which is scheduled to debut in early 2027. Griffin Gaming Partners’ Peter Levine serves as co-founder and chairman. The company’s advisory group includes the likes of former TelevisaUnivision CEO and former Viacom CFO Wade Davis and former Sony Pictures Television president Steve Mosco.
Coker’s track record includes discovering and developing the careers of mixed martial arts legends such as Daniel Cormier, Ronda Rousey, and Gina Carano. When the UFC moved from Spike FC to Fox and Viacom made its deal to buy Bellator, Kay reached out to meet with Coker. “We got together in Los Angeles and had a cup of coffee that lasted probably three hours,” Kay recalls. “I knew right away that he was the right man to run Bellator because of his success as a promoter and all the other work he did.”
After several more conversations, Kai convinced him. “He did a great job,” Kay says. Hollywood Reporter. “His track record in MMA is absolutely amazing. He has built an incredible roster, told great stories and completely rebuilt the brand.”
Kai’s focus in his new mixed martial arts venture is his core experience. “My background is really storytelling,” he says. “That’s what I love. I’ve always felt that MMA is a great story, and fighters’ stories are great stories, but they’re not always told in the right way.”
The new MMA league really wants to put them front and center. “Scott has amazing relationships not only with the fighters, but also with the fighter representatives and gyms,” Kay explains. “And he cares deeply about the athletes, because he’s a black belt himself. He really respects these men and women and cares about them and makes them successful in a way that goes above and beyond all other promotions.”
One example he cited was that Strikeforce returned 50 percent of its revenue to its fighters. “What Scott is good at is spotting that talent, building it, investing in it, and then bringing it to its peak,” Kay says. It will focus on helping tell their stories. “You want the audience to engage deeply and emotionally with these fighters in some way. My role is about telling stories and content around the athletes and connecting the athletes to the audience.”
This means digging deeper and showing more than just superficial excitement. “I don’t mean to offend anyone, but I feel like it’s gotten to the point where the way fights are promoted is to make a weigh-in, fighters yell at each other, push and push, and maybe a fight will break out,” Kay says. “Sure, it’s exciting for the fans, but a lot of these men and women have very interesting stories about their lives and how they became fighters and mixed martial artists and why. But those stories aren’t being told.”
Kai wants to do it. “Telling the stories of their personal journeys is important to me, as well as developing really compelling narratives about the fighters and the battles they are about to engage in,” he asserts, anticipating an attractive mix of established names and new talent.
His content role will mean working with every department within the new MMA company. “Scott is a master of putting fans in the seats and getting them to watch these fights on TV,” he shares. “And one of the reasons I agreed to do this is because I love the team he’s building.”
Additional details, including the league’s name, structure and format, the regions of the world in which fights will be held, the participation of athletes, as well as broadcast and/or television distribution and event schedules, are expected to be revealed over time. Given Coker’s track record and desire to draw attention to the new MMA league and its fighters, tournaments are expected to play a major role. Bucuti’s appointment confirms that Europe will be a key region for the new promotion.
“At its core, the new promotion is designed to expand opportunities for world-class fighters, strengthen the global MMA community and deliver a new international product to fans while honoring the gyms, coaches, athletes and local fighting cultures that fuel the growth of the sport,” the project said Tuesday.
“As the league moves toward launch, its mission remains focused on building a global MMA platform rooted in martial arts traditions, connected to athletes and fans, and committed to creating meaningful opportunities for fighters around the world.”
Kay has an idea of what the focus of the early content will be: short form. “Long form [content] It gets expensive, it’s a big bet, and I don’t know that the audience needs it THR. Kay says he also has “some ideas for some longer, but relatively inexpensive, things.” “We have to spend money on fights and fighters, so I don’t want to go into a long series now. I think that’s a goal for the future.”
“A lot of mixed martial arts fans grew up on social media platforms,” Kai concludes. “They’re used to eating bite-sized things. That’s something we’ve done with Bellator really well. The social stuff has been great. I think that’s where we’re going to start.”
