Lorenzo Fertitta & Dana White On Recent Sale Rumors: We Own The UFC

Over the last month or so, multiple reports have surfaced indicating that the UFC had indeed been sold for a record setting $4.2 billion dollars. The reports claimed that a bid had been accepted and that an announcement was likely to come around the time of this weekend’s (Sat., July 9, 2016) blockbuster UFC 200

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Over the last month or so, multiple reports have surfaced indicating that the UFC had indeed been sold for a record setting $4.2 billion dollars. The reports claimed that a bid had been accepted and that an announcement was likely to come around the time of this weekend’s (Sat., July 9, 2016) blockbuster UFC 200 from the brand new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Throughout the midst of these rumors, there has yet to be official confirmation from the promotion, and it looks as if the UFC brass is sticking to its guns in terms of denying the reports.

UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta recently spoke to the LA Times on the situation, saying that there’s simply nothing to report and that his love for the sport of mixed martial arts remains intact:

“If we bring on an investor or something happens, we’ll let everyone know. I’ve never been more bullish on the business. I still have massive love for the sport. I never said I was walking away. What’s happening — this is standard. Any company, this size and magnitude, you don’t talk about things you’re working on in strategical terms. So there’s nothing to report.”

Piggy backing off of what Fertitta had to say, UFC President Dana White added that the rumors are ‘unbelievable’. White also confirmed that he and the Fertitta brothers still own the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion:

“I’m in Bangor, Maine [recently], and people are yelling at me, ‘Congratulations!’ I’m looking at my family, saying, ‘Most of the free world thinks me and the Fertittas don’t own the UFC anymore.’ It’s unbelievable. We own the UFC. We did not sell the UFC. We own it.”

We have seen the UFC brass say one thing and do another on multiple occasions, but as of now it seems as if they will remain in ownership of the UFC – or so they say. Do you see the company selling in the near future?

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UFC Exec Denies Reports That Company Has Been Sold

Rumors regarding the potential sale of the UFC have been swirling for months now, but the situation reached a new height yesterday (June 20, 2016) when a report surfaced indicating that one hundred percent of the promotion had been sold for a record setting $4.2 billion. Flocombat.com claimed that “a group consisting of WME-IMG, the

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Rumors regarding the potential sale of the UFC have been swirling for months now, but the situation reached a new height yesterday (June 20, 2016) when a report surfaced indicating that one hundred percent of the promotion had been sold for a record setting $4.2 billion. Flocombat.com claimed that “a group consisting of WME-IMG, the Dalian Wanda Group, The Kraft Group and Tencent Holdings” had submitted the bid, and that the bid had essentially been accepted.

UFC Vice President of Public Relations Dave Sholler begs to differ, however, as he recently cited the reports as ‘false’:

“FloCombat.com’s report indicating that the UFC has been sold is false,” Sholler told MMAjunkie. “We’ve communicated that to our staff members tonight via an internal memo.”

The email in which Sholler referenced can be read in full below:

“A report today by FloCombat.com indicating that the company has been sold is false,” the email read. “This follows other false speculation in the press recently.

“Such misrepresentation of facts in the media negatively impacts our business, staff members and athletes. We have instructed our attorneys to investigate and take all appropriate legal actions against the parties publishing and contributing to these false stories.

“With International Fight Week and the historic UFC 200 rapidly approaching, we look forward to once again delivering a series of events that our fans won’s soon forget. We appreciate your hard work, diligence and commitment, and thank you for your focus as we continue to take the sport to new heights.”

The UFC has had a tendency in the past to shut down reports regarding huge news that they hadn’t yet announced themselves, but what do you make of the situation? The story regarding the potential sale of the UFC has been a popular one in recent weeks with some of the industry’s most well-respected reporters claiming that the move was almost a sure thing.

Stay tuned to LowKickMMA as more news regarding the situation unfolds.

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UFC Reportedly In Talks To Sell Company

A report has surfaced from ESPN’s Darren Rovell this evening (Tues., May 10, 2016) the UFC’s parent company Zuffa, LLC is in talks to sell the company according to sources close to the situation. According to the report, multiple bidders have made offers in regards to purchasing the promotion including WME/IMG, China Media Capital, The Blackstone

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A report has surfaced from ESPN’s Darren Rovell this evening (Tues., May 10, 2016) the UFC’s parent company Zuffa, LLC is in talks to sell the company according to sources close to the situation.

According to the report, multiple bidders have made offers in regards to purchasing the promotion including WME/IMG, China Media Capital, The Blackstone Group and Dalian Wanda Group with the Dalian Wanda Group appearing as the leader at the moment.

The Chinese-based organization is owned by the richest man in China, Wang Jianlin, and has recently began to make a slow and steady entry into the booming sports industry.

In recent memory, it seems as if the idea of the UFC being sold has become an increasingly popular one, although now possibly reaching a new height.

Dave Sholler, Vice President of Public Relations for the UFC, commented on the reality of the situation, although adding relatively no insight:

“As a private company, we don’t discuss speculation or rumors related to our business,” said Sholler.

The UFC is indeed a private organization under parent company Zuffa, LLC. Brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertita own upwards of eighty percent of the company while UFC President Dana White as well as the Abu Dhabi government have stakes as well.

Given the private nature of the organization, financial records aren’t normally released, although it is well-known that the UFC is coming off of one of its best years to date in 2015, and has seemed to keep that trend going in the first half of 2016 on the coat tails of pay-per-view (PPV) superstar and reigning featherweight champion Conor McGregor.

With that being said, one would have to think that a deal to sell the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion would be a monumental one to say the least.

How do you see this situation playing out?

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