Reports: UFC Closing In On Sale For Over $4B, 100% Ownership
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mattcon...be-roughly-4b-for-100-ownership/#7ba842c7483f
On the heels of Ariel Helwani claiming that the sale of the UFC was “progressing” on Tuesday, his MMA Fightingcolleague Dave Meltzer has reported that “the bidding period (for the UFC) is expected to end on or around June 16 … in the $4 billion price range for 100 percent ownership.”
Meltzer — citing a source involved in the bidding — firstbrought these figures to light in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription only) for May 30, aligning with Darren Rovell’s original report from several weeks prior.ESPN's sports business expert said the UFC was “in advanced talks to sell the business” on May 11, but had his findings swiftly rejected by UFC President Dana White.
“The UFC is not for sale,” White told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “The ESPN story is overblown. Darren Rovell is not a fan of facts.”
White is one of the four owners of Zuffa LCC, the UFC’s parent entity, holding a 9% stake. Station Casino executives Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta own 81% of the company, with Abu Dhabi-based Flash Entertainment laying claim to the remaining 10%.
If the sale is for all 100%, it’s unclear if White would remain with the company. It’s hard to imagine the longtime UFC figurehead walking away from a product he built from the ground up, and a prospective buyer would likely want to keep him on for promotional purposes, as Jeremy Botter of Flo Combat indicated on Thursday. With that said, the outspoken president has eluded to cutting ties in the event of a transfer of power.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mattcon...be-roughly-4b-for-100-ownership/#7ba842c7483f
On the heels of Ariel Helwani claiming that the sale of the UFC was “progressing” on Tuesday, his MMA Fightingcolleague Dave Meltzer has reported that “the bidding period (for the UFC) is expected to end on or around June 16 … in the $4 billion price range for 100 percent ownership.”
Meltzer — citing a source involved in the bidding — firstbrought these figures to light in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription only) for May 30, aligning with Darren Rovell’s original report from several weeks prior.ESPN's sports business expert said the UFC was “in advanced talks to sell the business” on May 11, but had his findings swiftly rejected by UFC President Dana White.
“The UFC is not for sale,” White told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “The ESPN story is overblown. Darren Rovell is not a fan of facts.”
White is one of the four owners of Zuffa LCC, the UFC’s parent entity, holding a 9% stake. Station Casino executives Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta own 81% of the company, with Abu Dhabi-based Flash Entertainment laying claim to the remaining 10%.
If the sale is for all 100%, it’s unclear if White would remain with the company. It’s hard to imagine the longtime UFC figurehead walking away from a product he built from the ground up, and a prospective buyer would likely want to keep him on for promotional purposes, as Jeremy Botter of Flo Combat indicated on Thursday. With that said, the outspoken president has eluded to cutting ties in the event of a transfer of power.
