The premier Mixed Martial Arts league, the UFC, are in talks to sell the prestigious promotion to the highest bidder, according to a report by ESPN senior writer Darren Rovell.
The investment bank, Goldman Sachs, has been hired by UFC parent company Zuffa LLC to represent them during the bidding process. According to Rovell, the winning bid will be somewhere between $3.5 billion and $4 billion.
The UFC was purchased in 2001 for $2 million and is currently owned by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta (80% majority share), Dana White, and Abu Dhabi subsidiary Flash Entertainment.
ESPN reported that 4 companies are involved in negotiations to buy the MMA promotion; WME/IMG, China Media Capital, Blackstone Group, and Dalian Wanda Group. Dalian Wanda’s chairman, Wang Jianlin, is also China’s wealthiest man with a net-worth over $34 billion.
Listen as Dana White denies the sale rumors on “The Dan Patrick Show”:
Will the UFC get sold for billions of dollars? How would a new set of owners affect not just the UFC but the landscape of modern MMA? Stay tuned to JiuJitsuTimes.com for updates as further details come to light.
