Cage Warriors announces new funding round and broadcast deal

Cage Warriors, EMEA’s leading MMA promotion, has announced a successful fundraising round with many of Europe’s biggest sports investors and a new broadcast deal with Freesports.

Almost 18 months after the relaunch of Cage Warriors, its existing shareholders have put further funds behind the promotion with a new investment round.

The group includes Oliver Slipper (ex-CEO of Perform Group), Nicole Junkermann (ex-InFront), Jörg Mohaupt (European tech investor of Spotify, Perform, Deezer, Warner Music and Adyen) and Solly Solomou (founder and owner of The Lad Bible group).

Casimir Knight, CEO of Warriors Development Agency, parent company of Cage Warriors, said: “In less than two years, Cage Warriors has re-established itself as Europe’s leading MMA promotion with a TV platform to showcase MMA talent in this region.

“I am thrilled that our investment group believe in MMA and our vision for the sport in EMEA.”

MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, and Cage Warriors have built the careers of many of its champions, including all the current UFC winners from Europe: Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

The promotion entered a new era of growth in 2016, following a management buyout with a clear plan to combine MMA promotion, talent management and content producers in Europe.

The MBO was led by Graham Boylan who ran Cage Warriors from 2010, Casimir Knight; ex-IMG and Chelsea FC, and Chairman Michael O’Rourke; the serial sports entrepreneur who founded Setanta and Premier Sports.

The company’s UK TV rights has been extended further, with broadcast rights shared between BT Sport and FreeSports, a new TV channel dedicated to bringing free sport to 22m UK homes through Freeview, Sky, Freesat, TalkTalk and BT platforms.

Cage Warriors prelims will also be streamed by The Sport Bible to its 10m followers on Facebook.

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