Scott Coker (born October 3, 1962) is an American mixed martial artist, Taekwondoin, former movie stuntman,[2] and combat sports promoter. He is the founder and former CEO of MMA promotion Strikeforce, former president of Bellator MMA, and founder of Fight Night at the Tech.
Scott Coker | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 3, 1962[1] |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Fight Night at the Tech, founder |
| Known for | Strikeforce, founder and CEO Bellator MMA, president |
Background
editScott Coker was born in Seoul in 1962.[3] His father, an American from Tennessee, had arrived in Korea shortly after the Korean War. He met Scott's mother, a Korean, while she was singing at a USO club. They married in December 1959. When he was approximately 9 years old, Scott and his family relocated to the United States, where they settled in San Jose, California in 1973.[4]
Coker is an Ernie Reyes protégé and full-contact fight promoter covering Kickboxing, K-1, and MMA. Coker has obtained an 8th degree black belt in Taekwondo under Reyes and was an original member of the West Coast Demonstration Team. In 1986, Scott Coker became one of the first directors of ISKA.[5]
Mixed martial arts
editStrikeforce
editCoker founded Strikeforce in 1985 as a kickboxing organization.[6]
The promotion held its first MMA event, Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie, on March 10, 2006, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.[7] Over the next five years, Coker built the brand into the number two mixed martial arts promotion in the United States, partnering with both Showtime and CBS to televise their events. Strikeforce co-promoted some events with Elite Xtreme Combat, or EliteXC.
In March 2011, Strikeforce was purchased by Zuffa, LLC.[8] Coker was retained by the company for a contractual period of three years, ending in April 2014.[9]
Bellator MMA
editOn June 18, 2014, Coker was announced as the new President of Bellator MMA, replacing founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney.[10] Coker was brought in to make it a less tournament-focused promotion. After the selling of promotion in 2024, Coker did not transition with the ownership and resigned as CEO.
Fight Night at the Tech
editIn March 2024, four months after Bellator MMA was sold to PFL, Coker announced that he and Gilbert Melendez will debut a new MMA event called Fight Night at the Tech, on May 18, 2024.[11]
Awards
edit- Combat Press
- 2015 Executive of the Year[12]
Film career
editCoker has participated in various martial arts movies as a fighter, including Dragon Fight, The Last Dragon, and Surf Ninjas.
References
edit- ^ Bellator MMA [@BellatorMMA] (3 October 2016). "RT to wish #BellatorMMA President @ScottCoker a Happy Birthday!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Scott Coker".
- ^ "Interview with Scott Coker". 25 March 2016.
- ^ "Interview with Scott Coker". 25 March 2016.
- ^ "About ISKA curtain". www.iska.org.uk.
- ^ "Scott Coker the man behind Strikeforce's curtain". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Sherdog Fight Finder". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
- ^ "Zuffa purchases Strikeforce". mmafighting.com. 2011-03-12.
- ^ "With Zuffa contract complete, former Strikeforce boss plans to travel, not promote". mmajunkie.com. 2014-04-23.
- ^ "Former Strikeforce head Scott Coker named Bellator MMA president". mmajunkie.com. 2014-06-18. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
- ^ "Why Scott Coker passed on PFL after Bellator sale: 'I'm an entrepreneur at heart'". mmajunkie.com. 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Justyn Likes. "Combat Press 2015 MMA Awards: Executive of the Year – Bellator MMA President Scott Coker". Combat Press. Retrieved January 1, 2016.