TV and film star Kate del Castillo gets herself into the MMA business, empowering women
World-renowned television and film actor Kate del Castillo (“La Reina Del Sur,” “Ingobernable,” “The Day I Met El Chapo”) announced a landmark deal with Combate Americas, a top global Mixed Martial Arts brand at a news conference Thursday in Los Angeles.
Del Castillo and the brand’s CEO Campbell McLaren discussed the venture, and she answered questions about why she chose to invest in this brand, the ways they’re disrupting the MMA space and how together they are working to promote pay and power equality for female athletes.
Born in Mexico City, Mexico, Del Castillo, 46, is a businesswoman and global superstar. A Los Angeles resident, she acquired an ownership stake in Combate Americas, taking a leadership role in one of sports entertainment’s fastest-growing franchises.
With her backing, their first big initiative will be ‘Reinas Del Combate,’ the first all-women’s lineup in MMA history to air on broadcast television on April 26 from Los Angeles.
My audio interview with del Castillo
Combate Americas was founded in 2011, thanks to McLaren, who was the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
By the way, Del Castillo, who owns the tequila brand Honor del Castillo, set-up a meeting in October 2015 between American actor Sean Penn and Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzmán, a fan of Del Castillo. Through Guzman’s attorney, she obtained the rights to Guzman’s life for a documentary series on Netflix that premiered October 2017.
Press release
NEW YORK – April 4, 2019 – Kate del Castillo and premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports entertainment franchise Combate Americas, announced Thursday, April 4 a landmark deal that redefines the world of combat sports.
Del Castillo has acquired an equity stake in the company and is now an owner and significant shareholder of Combate Americas.
Her investment comes as part of a $20 million equity infusion from a powerhouse group of investors that also includes finance and sports industry leader Joe Plumeri, Ambassador Cliff Sobel and Irving Place Capital CEO John Howard. Del Castillo will chair the advisory board, continue the company’s commitment to female empowerment and take on an active leadership role in growing the global MMA sports entertainment brand.
“Kate embodies the fierceness, tenacity and passion that defines the Combate Americas brand and its fighters.” Campbell McLaren, CEO and Founder of Combate Americas, said in the release.
“Kate is now an equity partner and will take on a leadership role in the company and chairs our advisory board, joining our other prestigious investors including Chairman Joe Plumeri, Ambassador Cliff Sobel and John Howard.”
Del Castillo said she was most drawn to Combate Americas’ embracement and development of Hispanic athletes, the tremendous opportunities it affords female fighters, its global media platform and its potential for the franchise to become the number two sport for Hispanic sports fans worldwide, after soccer.
Del Castillo said: “I am thrilled to join Campbell and the talented leadership team at Combate and will be relentless in helping Combate Americas reach its full potential as the second most popular sport.”
Del Castillo’s most immediate point of focus as an owner will be the upcoming ‘Combate de Reinas’ live television event at Galen Center in Los Angeles on Friday, April 26. A watershed moment, the event will mark the first time in history that a combat sports event will feature an all-women’s lineup on broadcast television.
“’Combate del Reinas’ is a significant feat for women in sports,” said Del Castillo, “and is a clear testimony to the Company’s commitment to female empowerment which I am excited to champion.”
About Combate Americas
Combate Americas is the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, rapidly becoming the number two sport after soccer, for Spanish speaking fans worldwide.
The Combate Americas franchise includes live event and original shoulder programming on some of the biggest television, OTT and digital platforms in Spanish and English, including Univision and Univision Deportes Network (UDN), DAZN, ESPN, GOL and Facebook Watch worldwide.
The company also owns and operates a multi-platform media studio, La Jaula Studios. Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren, also the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has been described by New York Magazine as “the marketing genius behind the UFC,” and Yahoo Sports has said he “knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today.”
With an unprecedented and cutting-edge product and a blue-chip ownership and management team, Combate Americas is poised to break new ground and bring about a new era in world championship level MMA competition.
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