Scott Coker: “They Couldn’t Destroy Us”, His New $60M MMA Venture & Why McGregor Isn’t Done

Scott Coker: “They Couldn’t Destroy Us”, His New $60M MMA Venture & Why McGregor Isn’t Done

From Ring Champs with Ak & Barak by Black Effect x All The Smoke Productions

September 10, 2026 · 60 min

About this episode

Scott Coker discusses his career in combat sports, the sale of Strikeforce, and his new MMA venture.

One of the most influential promoters in combat sports history sits down with Ak and Barak. Scott Coker built Strikeforce from scratch, developed Ronda Rousey, Daniel Cormier, Fedor and a heavyweight division he says was better than the UFC’s — and then sold it in a deal he calls one of the worst days of his life. He opens up about the pressure campaign that came before the sale (“they couldn’t destroy us, so they had to negotiate”), the seven-year non-compete the lawyers demanded, and why his fighters never wanted to leave. Then it turns to the money: the $500 million in purses he’s paid, the 58% of revenue Strikeforce shared with fighters, and the question about pay he says belongs to Dana White. Plus Cyborg calling out Claressa Shields and why he’d pay to see it, the truth about Conor McGregor’s injury and why he believes Conor can’t go out like that, the Crawford–McGregor $200M two-fight idea, remembering Kimbo Slice, and what’s next: $60 million raised for a new MMA venture that includes a one-year invite-only tournament at 126 pounds launching in 2027, built on the Super Six blueprint that made Andre Ward a…

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