Ex-LDC pair back fight promoter BAMMA
AS former leading lights with private equity firm LDC Paul Johnson and Ray Stenton are used to taking no prisoners – in negotiating deals.
But in a more combative new venture, the pair have invested in and taken non-executive directorships in a BAMMA, the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts.
The London-based fight promoter is aiming to become this country’s equivalent of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) – the US event that has shot to mainstream popularity.
BAMMA was set up in 2009 by former TV and sports marketing executives.So far it has staged four major MMA events, including the championship fight between model Katie Price’s estranged husband Alex Reid and Tom ‘Kong’ Watson.
The showdownm achieved more than 835,000 viewers on satellite TV channel Bravo, making it the most watched MMA event in this country.
MMA is a full contact combat sport that allows fighters of different backgrounds to compete. Despite its popularity in the US, where the UFC regularly outsells boxing in pay per view figures, BAMMA says MMA has yet to truly take-off in the UK due to the lack of a professional, year-round domestic product.
Ashley Bothwell, managing director of BAMMA, said: “From its modern-day inception in the early 90s, MMA has exploded around the world, creating a multi-billion dollar international industry, a new breed of sportsmen and millions of fans.
“BAMMA is designed to provide a quality, domestic MMA product for a growing base of UK fans and, importantly, to create a platform for home-grown talent for the sport’s international stage.
“Securing Ray and Paul’s backing has provided a major boost for us. Their experience in helping businesses achieve scale and successfully commercialise their intellectual property will be invaluable as we enter an important period of growth.”
Ray Stenton, non-executive director of BAMMA, said: “Ashley and the management team at BAMMA have done an outstanding job getting the business to where it is today in less than two years.
“They’ve created a market-leading product in an attractive, fast-growing market. Paul and I are excited about the opportunities ahead and looking forward to helping the business achieve its true potential.”
The promotion has lined up five arena dates this year. The first – BAMMA 5 – takes place in Manchester at the MEN Arena this weekend, with a headline bout for the welterweight championship between the UK’s Paul Daley and Japanese champion Yuya Shirai.
