The UFC Has Been Sold, And You’ll Never Believe How Much The New Owners Paid!

Bruce Buffer (aka the best part of the UFC)
Credit: Rey Del Rio // Getty Images

Wow. Casino entrepreneurs Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta are probably celebrating their faces off right now, and that’s okay because they have enough money to buy new faces. Back in 2001, when the UFC was at an extreme low point, the brothers purchased the league for just $2 million.

15 years later, the UFC is one of the most popular sports in the world. The fights are shown in more than 156 countries, and the fighters competing are becoming legit superstars. The UFC has never been more popular than it is right now.

Frank and Lorenzo understand this, which is why they decided to sell their adopted child for $4 billion. That’s right, folks. $4 freaking billion. The entertainment and sports agency WME-IMG will be the new owners. The deal won’t be official for another month or two, but everyone involved has agreed on the transfer. It’s just a matter of signing all the papers now.

Credit: Rey Del Rio // Getty Images

Lorenzo will reportedly step down as chairman “following a transitional period,” and after that he and his brother will stay on as minority owners. And you Dana White fans shouldn’t worry. He will be staying on as president. He tried his best to keep this $4 billion deal a secret. Rumors of a deal started to spread online back in May, and at the time White responded to the rumors by sending out a memo to his employees denying the sale. He even threatened to take legal action against the reporters spreading the news.

This could be an exciting time for the fighters of the UFC. Might be the perfect time to start demanding more money and respect from the people at the top. As some of you may remember, light heavyweight fighter Alexander Gustafsson told MMA Junkie last year that most fighters are underpaid.

For all the hard work and the sacrifices fighters generally make to fight, I think they’re a little bit underpaid. The same thing with the Reebok deal, too. I don’t have anything negative to say about it, I just think, why take away from fighters who haven’t established themselves in the organization? They have a hard time already so why take away the small sponsors so they can pay the rent and pay their bills?