The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is on the verge of announcing its mind-boggling $4 billion USD sale to WME-IMG.
It was reported late Sunday night US time (Monday afternoon Australian time) that the paperwork between all the parties had been completed, with the official announcement expected to be made on Monday morning (US time).
If the reported $4 billion figure is accurate, it would make it the most expensive franchise sale in the history of sport.
While WME-IMG are set to become the new owners of the company, the sale is, according to the New York Times, being backed by Silver Lake, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and Michael S Dell’s investment firm.
UFC boss Dana White is expected to stay in his current position as president of the organisation following the sale, while owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta are set to remain involved in the business as minority investors.
The sale has been rumoured for a number of months now, with reports first emerging in May that the organisation was on the verge of passing into new ownership.
However, those reports were hotly denied by White, who threatened legal action and categorically stated the UFC was not for sale.
Now, times seem to have changed.
The sale of the organisation caps off a rapid rise in the UFC’s popularity, as well as that of mixed martial arts in general. When the Fertitta brothers bought the company in 2000, the sport was struggling – the brothers paid just $2 million USD to acquire the business.
Since then, the UFC has grown into one of the most popular leagues in the world, boasting some of the most well-known athletes such as Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey and broadcasting its events in more than 150 countries.
The company’s revenue in 2015 was an estimated $600 million USD.
The sale comes on the back of one of the biggest nights in the competition’s history, when some 18,000 fans were in Las Vegas to watch UFC 200.
Another landmark night is expected in December, when Madison Square Garden is due to host UFC 205.
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