“This new promotion is truly a youth movement,” Rich Chou talks Scott Coker reunion and global vision

Scott Coker’s next venture continues to generate buzz throughout the MMA world, with the announcement of Coker’s return causing shockwaves in early May this year.

Later in the coming week came the announcement that longtime MMA executive and former Bellator matchmaker Rich Chou would be coming back to help lead the charge.

In an exclusive interview with Michael Hernandez of MLH Media, Chou discussed reuniting once again with Coker and the direction of their new promotion. In his time after Bellator, Chou assisted in the cultivation of Alta, a rigid training program that brought in novices to the sport of MMA and got them into a fight within a 20-week span. Chou originally left Bellator in 2021 to embark on the role, becoming the head mind of the program.

Chou also worked alongside Coker in his recent promotional venture in San Jose alongside former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez, hosting shows beginning in May 2024 and most recently hosting their last event on June 13th of this year.

“We’ve been staying busy since we rejoined forces,” Chou said. “We’re the new old team, so to speak… This is our third time around.”

For Chou, the reunion is another chapter in a partnership that stretches back decades, from Strikeforce to Bellator and beyond. After decades helping shape major organizations dating back from Rumble at the Rock to Elite XC, Chou says the mission remains the same.

“I’ve basically dedicated my whole entire adult life to the sport,” Chou explained. “We’ve always tried to just help make the sport better… We’ve never had the mentality or the attitude to take over. We love the sport, and we want to see it grow.”

Chou also spoke on the newest pension for combat sports athletes in the state of California, with the Napa Knockout MMA event serving as the inaugural event to raise funds for the pension.  Only athletes that have competed in the state of California for a certain time period according to their respective sport qualify for the service, the pension serves as a stepping stone into more rights for fighters. 

“We all know the fight life is a hard life,” Chou said. “It’s a very difficult life that doesn’t leave you much at the end of the day. I think what they’re doing with this pension… to help support fighters down the line when their days are done, I think it’s tremendous.”

While Chou stopped short of revealing a date or location for his new promotion, he confirmed Paris remains firmly on the radar after recent meetings overseas. At the same time, the Bay Area, home base of CEO Scott Coker in San Jose, continues to be a destination under discussion, given the company’s roots.

When asked about the new organization’s talent pool, and whether fans can expect any familiar names from organizations he has run in years past, Chou spoke on the depth of new talent in the sport of mixed martial arts and how this project differs from his previous pursuits with the likes of Bellator and Strikeforce.

“This new promotion is truly a youth movement,” Chou said. “We’re out there looking for the next big star… It’s about looking globally for the next top fighters, and to me that’s very, very exciting.”

The search doesn’t stop at the age of the new prospects — it extends to the locations of new events as well. With the popularization of MMA in markets such as France, Japan, and Germany, Chou discussed the possibility of tapping into even newer markets that haven’t yet been explored.

“We’re looking all over the world,” Chou revealed. “This is going to be a global play just like it was with Bellator, but we’re even looking at new markets that we didn’t even tap into.”

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