Yao Ming Seeking $10M Investor for Globalization Efforts for GLORY

[David Street]

Former NBA star Yao Ming's kickboxing organization Glory is looking for a new minority investor, and sports banking firm Moag and Company has been retained to facilitate the process.

Glory, founded in 2012, is seeking a buyer or consortium to acquire a $10 million equity stake at a $100 million valuation. The capital injection will be utilized to fund the London-based company's ongoing globalization efforts, namely in the United States market, according to a source familiar with negotiations. The stand-up combat league has talked to potential investors, but a deal has not been finalized.

"We've retained Moag because of some inbound interest and now we're evaluating beyond that," Glory CEO Marshall Zelaznik said in a phone interview. "We're reacting to the (growing) market. … There's money coming off the sideline and we'd be foolish not to evaluate opportunities that will help us grow."

Glory is currently owned by hedge fund manager and founder Pierre Andurand, Ming (through his private equity firm Yao Capital), Nectar Capital founder Scott Rudmann and others. The kickboxing brand is headquartered in London but has hosted events worldwide including in Asia, Netherlands, Germany and France (with desires to infiltrate the Middle East, like other promotions).

MSN

 

[Monte Moku]

Never would have expected Yao Ming to start a hedge fund, much less that very hedge fund acquiring a major stake in Glory. Hope they can find an investor, Glory has (mostly) been putting on some really good cards lately.

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Never would have expected Yao Ming to start a hedge fund, much less that very hedge fund acquiring a major stake in Glory. Hope they can find an investor, Glory has (mostly) been putting on some really good cards lately.

Imagine if this dude went into kickboxing instead

 

[Monte Moku]

Imagine if this dude went into kickboxing instead

He could have gone the Semmy Schilt route or the Hong Man Choi route lol. Considering his athletic talent, I think he would have at least fared well though. I always wonder about how crazy the talent pool would be if combat sports had even half the people the more popular international sports do. A boy can dream

 

[David Street]

Never would have expected Yao Ming to start a hedge fund, much less that very hedge fund acquiring a major stake in Glory. Hope they can find an investor, Glory has (mostly) been putting on some really good cards lately.

"Yao Capital was founded by NBA superstar Yao Ming, Head of Team Yao － Erik Zhang and a team of investment professionals and sports & media and entertainment industry veterans. Yao Capital focuses on growth capital investments in sports, media, entertainment and consumption related opportunities catering to new life style trends for younger generation in China. Since inception, Yao Capital has established its investment thesis around emerging consumption needs from millennials in China. As such, our portfolio companies include premier global sports franchises, IP operator in entertainment industry, media marketing companies, sports nutrition company, AI technology company, health & fitness chain, etc.

Established in January 2016, Yao Capital(www.yaoweicapital.com) is an CNY 2 billion private equity firm co-founded by NBA Hall of Famer Yao Ming and 4 veteran investors including David Han, former Chief Investment Officer of Wanda Group and former Managing Director of the Carlyle Group, and Erik Zhang, team Yao leader. Yao Capital focuses on growth and buy-out stage investment opportunities in global sports industry with a China angle."

 

[Khaosan]

Imagine if this dude went into kickboxing instead

He already did you casual.

 

[SOFA KING AWSM]

did not know Yao owned Glory lol.

 

[Loriquero]

Glory please, forget the US market for now, they are too saturated with The Pauls and the UFC. Keep it in Europe, make Kickboxing in France and Germany as popular as in the Netherlands, start developing Spain, Portugal, Morroco, Poland, Romania, Brazil, Argentina... Maybe is time to bring russians fighter again and before the US I would try to do something in China where Kickboxing already has some track.

Go the Formula 1 way: Focus in Europe, develop Asia, forget the USA.

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Glory please, forget the US market for now, they are too saturated with The Pauls and the UFC. Keep it in Europe, make Kickboxing in France and Germany as popular as in the Netherlands, start developing Spain, Portugal, Morroco, Poland, Romania, Brazil, Argentina... Maybe is time to bring russians fighter again and before the US I would try to do something in China where Kickboxing already has some track.

Go the Formula 1 way: Focus in Europe, develop Asia, forget the USA.

Well, if they don't go to the US, then they won't get that money. That's why people are investing in Glory.

 

[TheBrownRanger]

Well, if they don't go to the US, then they won't get that money. That's why people are investing in Glory.

The only way to succeed in the US is to go the BKFC route.

- Sign well-known UFC guys who recently washed out of the company.
- Use those guys to build their homegrown talent and gain attention to their cards.
- Understand it will take time. They're going to be THOSE guys that sign "old fighters" for a while.

Bellator fucked up by only putting their big guns on Bellator MMA and nobody on their Kickboxing brand. Joe Schilling was already a proven failed experiment in the States. GLORY went this route for a bit with Mirko and Pat Barry but they needed to do more. Also, you can argue Spike wasn't patient enough to build GLORY properly with the fans. I'd give it another shot with a different approach. If doing business with the Paul Brothers and other streamers is necessary, then that's what it's going to take. The US is a very individualist culture.

 

[Ara tech]

It is three times easier to make a living out of MMA than kickboxing. Besides it's a dying sport.

MMA is the only future, saying that as a kickboxer. It is going to be hard to sustain yourself on the long run without superstars. I just hope they will be able to produce them.