Fortune Magazine (via CNN Money) ran a feature on Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney this past week. The article covers Rebney’s background from construction defect attorney to CEO of a MMA organization.
Rebney’s passion for MMA had him criss-crossing the country looking for investors and going into personal debt. A meeting with a hedge fund contact that trained in the sport got Rebney’s foot in the door and he has been building Bellator ever since. With Viacom’s investment into the company in 2011 and its move to Spike TV in 2013, the company appears to be on the upswing.
Payout Perspective:
We’ve seen two MMA features in mainstream business magazines within the past two weeks. The first was Fast Company’s feature on the rise of the UFC. Now, we see a personal feature on Bellator’s boss. The backstory of these companies to get to where each is now is remarkable and entrepreneurial successes to say the least.