Founder tells of losing out over fight franchise

A FOUNDER of one of the world’s most extreme fighting sports franchises has revealed he was thwarted in his attempts to buy back the company.

Campbell McLaren was one of the original co-founders of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the 1990s, before it was sold on in 2001 in a £1.5 million deal.

Since then, the popularity of the mixed martial arts platform has soared, thanks to millions of dollars worth of investment and promotion.

McLaren, who is originally from Cowie, Stirlingshire, revealed he tried to buy back the company for £2 billion earlier this year, but was passed over by a better offer worth £3 billion.

He said: “I had a meeting with [the owner] Lorenzo, who we sold to, in February.

“I asked him point blank, ‘If I could put together a deal would you be interested?’

“He said yes — and we put together an offer which was $2.8 billion.

“I think the sale they have now agreed is very good for them and for the sport internationally.”

The 60-year-old businessman now runs his own company, Combate Americas, adding: “My valuation has doubled since the UFC sale and it’s worth somewhere between £25 million and £40m.

“I did very well from UFC but I see the sale figure now and ask myself ‘do I wish I had been part of it’ – and the answer is, ‘absolutely’.”

The father-of-three, who now lives in Los Angeles, says he still regularly visits family in Scotland and said he was looking for Scottish fighters to join his company.

McLaren emigrated to the United States when he was six years old.

His father was a former RAF flight officer and hospital executive and his mother was a Presbyterian Church administrator.