Scott Coker
Scott Coker | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 3, 1962 Seoul, South Korea |
| Occupation(s) | Mixed martial artist, Taekwondo expert, stunt performer, fight promoter |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Strikeforce, President of Bellator MMA, Fight Night at the Tech event series |
Scott Coker (born October 3, 1962) is a prominent American figure in the combat sports world, known as a mixed martial artist, Taekwondo expert, former stunt performer, and influential fight promoter. He established and served as CEO of the MMA organization Strikeforce, held the presidency at Bellator MMA, and launched the Fight Night at the Tech event series.
Background
Coker was born in Seoul in 1962 to a Tennessee-born American father and a Korean mother whom his father met at a USO club. The family relocated to San Jose in 1973. As a protégé of Ernie Reyes, Coker earned an 8th degree black belt in Taekwondo and was a member of the West Coast Demonstration Team. In 1986, he became among the inaugural directors of the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA).
Strikeforce
Initially founded by Coker in 1985 as a kickboxing promotion, Strikeforce evolved into an MMA organization with its debut mixed martial arts event, Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie, held on March 10, 2006, at San Jose's HP Pavilion. Over the next five years, Coker elevated Strikeforce to become the second-largest MMA promotion in the United States, securing television agreements with Showtime and CBS. The promotion also collaborated on events with Elite Xtreme Combat (EliteXC).
In March 2011, Strikeforce was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, with Coker remaining under contract through April 2014.
Bellator MMA
On June 18, 2014, Coker was appointed President of Bellator MMA, succeeding its founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. Under his leadership, Bellator shifted away from its prior emphasis on tournament formats. Following Bellator’s acquisition in 2024, Coker stepped down from his CEO role and did not continue with the new ownership group.
Fight Night at the Tech
In March 2024, just four months after Bellator’s purchase by the PFL, Coker revealed plans for a new MMA event titled Fight Night at the Tech, scheduled for May 18, 2024. This initiative was developed in collaboration with former fighter Gilbert Melendez.
Awards
- Combat Press
- 2015 Executive of the Year
Film career
Coker has appeared as a martial artist in films such as Dragon Fight, The Last Dragon, and Surf Ninjas.
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1962 births
- Living people
- American male taekwondo practitioners
- American people of Korean descent
- Bellator MMA
- Kickboxing executives
- Mixed martial arts executives
- Strikeforce (mixed martial arts)
- 20th-century American sportsmen