UPDATE 1-Ex-Goldman 'Goldfinger' raises $2.5 bln fund - sources

* Led by former Goldman partner Mark McGoldrick

* Completed raising first $2.5 billion fund

* Targeting $100 million deal with focus on Asia (Adds quotes, investment scale and competitors)

By George Chen, Asia Private Equity Correspondent

HONG KONG, June 24 (Reuters) - "Goldfinger" is back in the market and has a new focus -- Asia.

Mount Kellett Capital, a private equity firm run by former Goldman Sachs (GS.N) partner Mark McGoldrick, has completed raising about $2.5 billion for its first fund with a focus on Asia, especially China, two people with knowledge of the details told Reuters.

McGoldrick earned his nickname while at Goldman Sachs where, as co-head of its lucrative global special situations group, media reported he was paid $40-$70 million in 2006.

The Asia-focused firm, which McGoldrick and former Goldman colleagues launched early last year, initially set a target to raise about $5 billion, but pared this back as markets fell sharply late last year, said the sources, who declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

A representative for Mount Kellett could not be immediately reached for comment.

"In fact, it's not that bad at all. $2.5 billion is a very impressive number in such a tough market environment," said one of the sources.

Along with scaling back its original target, Mount Kellett also shifted its global investment scale to focus on Asia, especially China, said the sources.

BIG APPETITE

Mount Kellett, named after a mountain in Hong Kong and also known as MKC, has an office in the former British colony with about 10 investment professionals seeking deals across Asia, especially in China and India, said one person familiar with operations.

Even before the firm raised its first $2.5 billion fund, MKC executives had begun talks with several Chinese firms for potential investments, the person said.

"It's a new firm, but it has a big appetite from the start," said the source, who is bidding against Mount Kellett for one China deal.

"People are talking about Mount Kellett and you can actually see these guys on many big deals these days. They are apparently an aggressive investor," he said, declining to elaborate.