Bjorn Rebney is an American businessman who served as chairman and chief executive officer of Bellator MMA from 2008 until June 2014.
Background
Rebney attended
Ohio University on a football scholarship and then attended law school. Rebney did legal work in construction-defect then moved to the sports-law firm Steinberg Moorad & Dunn.
In 2001, Rebney formed a partnership with Sugar Ray Leonard. The company was Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Inc. The two had a falling out and the business dissolved.
Bellator MMA
Rebney's passion for mixed martial arts made him decide to start an MMA promotion.
[ In his search for investors to fund his idea of a promotion, Rebney had sixty-one investor meetings within 16 months.][ In Rebney's 62nd meeting with investors, he met executives at Plainfield Asset Management, who were familiar with the sport from prior meetings with management of EliteXC and the International Fight League who looked for capital to stay in business. Among the investors were Tim Danaher, who was the company's vice president at the time.][ After a follow-up meeting in New York, Plainfield agreed to provide the capital, which led to the creation of Bellator Fighting Championships.][
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In October 2011, television and media conglomerate Viacom (now Paramount Global) purchased majority ownership of Bellator.
MMAAA
In November 2016, it was announced that Rebney was chosen as an advisor to the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association (MMAAA).
Personal life
Rebney's father was Jack Rebney, an unintended viral video star and later subject of the 2009 documentary Winnebago Man.
Rebney is married to Huma Gruaz, an advertising and public relations executive.[ The couple has two children.][
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