Conflicting Reports Emerge Regarding Finalized Sale of UFC
The recently rumored sale of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship has taken a significant step
forward, as Zuffa accepted a $4.2 billion bid to sell the company,
according to a report from
FloCombat.com.
The bid was reportedly submitted by a group that included WME-IMG, the Dalian Wanda Group, The Kraft Group and Tencent Holdings, which was one of the leading bidders as the rumored sale reached its final stages last week. Multiple investors joined forces in order to reach the UFC’s asking price, but according to FloCombat, WME-IMG and The Kraft Group will serve as the face of the company in North America if the deal is completed as expected.
UFC President Dana White is expected to remain with the promotion
following the sale, while UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta would relinquish
his role with the organization.
Meanwhile, the UFC continues to deny that any type of sale is imminent. MMAjunkie.com on Monday obtained a copy of an internal memo -- signed by Fertitta -- that was sent to company employees:
“A report today by FloCombat.com indicating that the company has been sold is false. 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’t 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 bid was reportedly submitted by a group that included WME-IMG, the Dalian Wanda Group, The Kraft Group and Tencent Holdings, which was one of the leading bidders as the rumored sale reached its final stages last week. Multiple investors joined forces in order to reach the UFC’s asking price, but according to FloCombat, WME-IMG and The Kraft Group will serve as the face of the company in North America if the deal is completed as expected.
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Meanwhile, the UFC continues to deny that any type of sale is imminent. MMAjunkie.com on Monday obtained a copy of an internal memo -- signed by Fertitta -- that was sent to company employees:
“A report today by FloCombat.com indicating that the company has been sold is false. 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’t 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.”
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