Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh joins Scott Coker's new Ki MMA promotion as ambassador

Kavanagh said Coker and Rich Chou flew in to meet him at McGregor's last training camp, and the promotion aims to launch in 2027 with fights in a ring.

John Kavanagh, Conor McGregor's long-time coach, has joined Ki MMA, the new promotion from Scott Coker and Rich Chou, in an ambassador role.

"I'm very proud to announce I'm now part of Ki MMA," Kavanagh told The Ariel Helwani Show.

He said Coker and Chou flew in to meet him while he was at McGregor's last training camp, and that they "offered me a type of ambassador role, if you will." Kavanagh described the job as "whatever needs to be done, I get done," using the network he has built over two decades, especially in Europe, to help with signing fighters and finding venues.

Kavanagh said he and Coker have "done some great stuff in the past," and called Coker one of the few people who "really built up shows that were able to rival the big one."

Ki MMA is aiming to launch in 2027. Kavanagh said its events will be held in a ring and that it is looking at some rule changes, and called the promotion "truly global." Coker has already asked the California State Athletic Commission to allow knees to the head of a grounded opponent, while ruling out soccer kicks and stomps.

Kavanagh accepted that Ki MMA will be "competition for other promotions for sure," but said MMA fans "are really underserved in the amount of events that they have."

"To have more shows, I don't see it as taking fans from any other promotion, I see it adding to the pie," he said.

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