Scott Coker and company continue to explore avenues to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack, while paying homage to martial arts history – but will it be allowed?
On Tuesday, Coker released a statement through his new upstart promotion Ki MMA, in which he revealed the promotion has formally requested the allowance of a variance in ruleset from the Unified Rules of MMA.
"I’ve always believed MMA should keep evolving," Coker wrote. "Ki MMA has formally requested a rule change to bring elements of the Global MMA Rules into the Unified Rules, excluding soccer kicks, stomps and linear knee strikes as per Rule 533. We’ve asked CSAC to discuss this topic at the Dec. 1 stakeholders meeting."
What is more important than the strikes listed in the statement – is one that is not. MMA Junkie has learned the variance request is centered around the allowance of knees to the head on the ground. Currently, fighters can only knee grounded opponents in the body, legs, and shoulders on the canvas.
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) October 20, 2026
According to Ki's statement, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) will discuss this matter at its Dec. 1 commission meeting. CSAC executive director Andy Foster has historically voiced openness to trialing various rule sets, with his state being among the first major combat sports commissions to grant licenses for alternative combat sports like bareknuckle boxing and slap fighting.
The addition of knees to the head on the ground would continue the theme of Ki MMA's lean into Japanese mixed martial arts aesthetics – something Coker has long been endeared to. The promotion, which is expected to launch in early 2027, has already announced that its fights will take place in a ring, as opposed to the cage, which is more commonly found in the United States.
Many details remain to be publicized pertaining to Ki MMA, but the promotion has revealed it will have a global focus on up-and-comers, with an international 32-fighter featherweight grand prix on tap. A roster and schedule are expected to be revealed in the coming days.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Scott Coker, Ki MMA formally request rule change to allow PRIDE-esque strike