UFC, WWE Officially Merge Under Parent Company TKO Group Holdings

The NYSE welcomes TKO Group Holdings Inc. in celebration of its listing! 🔔 $TKO @TKOGrp | @ufc | @WWE | @Endeavor | @danawhite | @TripleH | @BiancaBelairWWE | @dc_mma pic.twitter.com/55SSVlQpdw

— NYSE 🏛 (@NYSE) September 12, 2023

The merger between the Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Wrestling Entertainment is now official.

TKO Group Holdings debuted on Tuesday as a publicly traded company at the New York Stock Exchange. Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel rang the bell to open trading for the day, and he was accompanied by UFC president Dana White, WWE executive chairman Vince McMahon, WWE executive Paul Levesque and ex-UFC two division champ Daniel Cormier – among others -- during the proceedings.

Endeavor Group Holdings has a 51% controlling interest in the company, while WWE shareholders have a 49% stake. Emanuel will be chief executive of TKO, while McMahon will serve as executive chairman – his same role with WWE. White is the CEO, but his role isn’t expected to change significantly with the title, and WWE CEO Nick Khan will serve as president of WWE.

“The creation of TKO marks an exciting new chapter for UFC and WWE as leaders in global sports and entertainment,” Emanuel said in a release. “Given their continued connectivity to the Endeavor network, we are confident in our ability to accelerate their respective growth and unlock long-term sustainable value for shareholders. With UFC and WWE under one roof, we will provide unrivaled experiences for more than a billion passionate fans worldwide.”

The merger, which was announced in April, forms a combat sports organization reportedly valued at $21.4 billion. As a result, Endeavor is expecting “significant growth” in domestic and international media rights, ticket sales and yield optimization, event operations, sponsorship, licensing and premium hospitality.

“This is the culmination of a decades-long partnership between Endeavor and WWE across strategic initiatives including talent representation and media rights. Given our collaborative, trusted relationship and Endeavor’s incredible track record of success growing UFC, we believe WWE is optimally positioned for future growth and success as part of TKO,” McMahon said in the release. “Our focus remains on delivering for our fans across the globe as we take the business to the next level alongside UFC and Endeavor.”

.@TKOGrp @ufc @WWE pic.twitter.com/Oh8y6lWYs9

— danawhite (@danawhite) September 12, 2023