Ki MMA: Scott Coker Interested in Michael Page, Nate Diaz & Cris Cyborg
Scott Coker has only just unveiled Ki MMA, but the conversation has already moved from what the new promotion will look like to who might actually fight there. Speaking with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn after the New York launch, Coker discussed three especially interesting names on the open market: Michael Page, Nate Diaz and Cris Cyborg.
Nothing has been signed or announced, and that distinction matters this early in Ki MMA’s life. But all three fit the type of established fighter Coker can use alongside the promotion’s prospect-heavy tournament structure. Ki MMA is scheduled to begin competition in the first quarter of 2027, with fights taking place in a ring rather than a cage and a 32-man featherweight World Grand Prix serving as its first major competitive framework.
Michael Page becomes an obvious Ki MMA free-agent target
Page is perhaps the easiest connection to make. The British striker spent the bulk of his major-league career in Bellator MMA while Coker ran the promotion, eventually challenging for the interim welterweight championship before leaving for the UFC in 2024.
His UFC run ended in unusual fashion. Page went 5-1 inside the promotion and left on a four-fight winning streak after defeating Nursulton Ruziboev by unanimous decision at UFC Paris in September 2026. UFC CEO Dana White subsequently confirmed that Page would not be re-signed, immediately making one of Coker’s former Bellator stars available on the open market.
That makes a Page reunion with Coker much more realistic than a speculative dream signing. Page already knows how Coker operates, remains a recognizable name, and his striking-heavy style is also an intriguing fit for Ki MMA’s decision to stage MMA fights in a traditional ring. Other organizations are interested in Page as well, so Ki MMA would still have to win an actual free-agent negotiation rather than simply revisit an old relationship.
Nate Diaz says he would fight for Ki MMA
Diaz is a different case because he never fought for Coker in either Strikeforce or Bellator, but his presence at the Ki MMA launch immediately created interest. More importantly, Diaz himself did not dismiss the possibility. He said at the event that he would be open to competing for Ki MMA and specifically liked the idea of fighting MMA in a ring, where corners can change the way opponents are pressured and trapped.
The longtime UFC star has operated outside the promotion since completing his contract in 2022, moving between boxing and MMA rather than committing exclusively to another league. His most recent MMA appearance came against Mike Perry in May 2026, and Diaz has said he intends to remain active in 2027.
For Ki MMA, that type of flexibility is important. The promotion’s 32-man featherweight tournament is designed primarily around younger fighters — ideally prospects between 18 and 25 with fewer than 10 professional bouts — but Coker has made clear that tournament fights will not fill entire cards. Established names and separate “Super Fights” are part of the plan, creating obvious space for someone such as Diaz without forcing him into the Grand Prix concept.
Cris Cyborg and Scott Coker could work together again
Cyborg has an even deeper history with Coker. She became a champion in Strikeforce and later reunited with him in Bellator, where she captured the women’s featherweight championship and became one of the promotion’s central stars.
Her situation became especially relevant just weeks before the Ki MMA announcement. Cyborg defeated Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision at PFL Tampa on August 22, recording her 30th professional victory in what had originally been promoted as her final MMA appearance. The bout also completed her contract with the PFL, leaving her future open despite the retirement billing.
Coker said around the Ki MMA launch that he intended to speak with Cyborg and determine what opportunities might make sense. Given their history across two organizations, her appearance at the launch was naturally significant, but no Ki MMA deal has been announced.
What Ki MMA has actually announced so far
The bigger picture behind Coker’s free-agent comments is that Ki MMA is trying to build two things at once. Its developmental centerpiece will be a 32-fighter featherweight Grand Prix divided between North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Each continent will produce a champion through an eight-man regional bracket, with the four winners ultimately meeting at a global finale. The semifinalists will have to fight twice in one night to crown the first World Grand Prix champion.
The rest of the cards give Coker and longtime matchmaker Rich Chou room to pursue experienced fighters who already have an audience. No Ki MMA roster has been formally revealed yet, and a broadcast partner also remains to be announced, although Coker discussed the promotion’s developing television plans in the interview.
That is what makes Page, Diaz and Cyborg worth watching rather than simply treating them as launch-event cameos. Page is newly available after leaving the UFC, Diaz has openly expressed interest in fighting for the promotion, and Cyborg has completed her PFL contract after another championship-level performance. Ki MMA still has to turn interest into contracts, but Coker already has several credible options for adding recognizable names around the promotion’s first wave of prospects.