- Oct 16, 2026
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Scott Coker has formally requested a rule change from the California State Athletic Commission to allow knees to the head of a grounded opponent for Ki MMA, a promotion he co-founded with Rich Chou.
The request is currently not permitted under unified rules. Former fighter Josh Thomson identified the rule's origin in the famed Japanese fighting organization PRIDE. Soccer kicks or stomps were excluded from the request. RIZIN in Japan also uses the rule.
Ki MMA, announced in September, will feature a 32-fighter featherweight grand prix tournament in a ring rather than a cage. The promotion marks Coker's official re-entry into combat sports on Monday following his background as former head of Strikeforce and Bellator.
A shareholders meeting on Dec. 1 is the next step for rule discussion. The change would set Ki MMA apart from UFC and PFL, which use unified rules.
Source: MMA Fighting - Tue Oct 20, 8:00 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).