The UFC OFFICIALLY Sold, And For A LOT Of Money!

Well, it's official. Despite previous claims that they have sold, it is now official. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) sold, and for a lot of money! $4 Billion dollars, to be exact. Considering that this company began 14 years ago, and was worth $2 million dollars at the time, $4 billion dollars is quite the up-sale.

According to Bloomberg.com:

UFC, the premier mixed martial arts promoter, has been sold for about $4 billion to a group led by Hollywood talent agency WME-IMG and backed by private-equity firms Silver Lake Partners LP, KKR & Co. and the investment firm of Michael Dell.
“UFC has experienced tremendous growth over the last decade and we are looking forward to helping the organization and its athletes identify new opportunities to develop and further establish their global footprint,” WME co-Chief Executive Officer Ari Emanuel said in the memo.
The deal was first reported by The New York Times.
UFC is owned by brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, who bought the company for $2 million in 2001. Buoyed by fighters such as Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor, UFC has grown into a billion-dollar business that stages sold-out events in arenas around the world, and reaches a pay-per-view audience that now rivals that of boxing’s most recent biggest fights. "

What do you think? Maybe this might help to legitimize the sport even more? Perhaps fix the business problems that they ran into with their Reebok deal?

[via Bloomberg]