Report: UFC owners looking to sell the business

Updated
UFC owners in advanced talks to sell company
UFC owners in advanced talks to sell company

According to a report from Darren Rovell and ESPN, Zuffa LLC, the owners of UFC, are looking to sell the business. Should the sale be successful, it's expected that the top bid could be up to as much as $4 billion. It should most certainly be noted that Zuffa purchased the business in 2001 for just $2 million.

As of right now, it's believed that there are some top bidders already lined up. WME/IMG, China Media Capital, The Blackstone Group and Dalian Wanda Group are among the folks reportedly at the head of the line for the bidding.

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Zuffa purchased the UFC back in 2001 and over time, it has become without a doubt the most lucrative combat sports company on the planet. In terms of popularity, they were able to take something like the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which was drawing a lot of criticisms for the brutality, and vault it right above boxing. For the most part, some of the more notable athletes right now here in come from the world of UFC.

David Sholler, vice president of public relations for UFC, had this to offer up when contacted.

"As a private company, we don't discuss speculation or rumors related to our business," said David Sholler, vice president of public relations and athlete marketing for the UFC.

Certainly, this will be an interesting situation to watch play out over the coming months here. UFC going up for sale is a huge deal, and there would be a lot of questions regarding the future of the business.

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