The story regarding the potential sale of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is about to get a lot more interesting. Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and journalist at MMAFighting.com, noted during his latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that the opening bids for the UFC sale will be taking place today.
Apparently the highest bidder could very well end up the new owners of the UFC, as it’s rumored that there are bids out there that are in or above the range the current owners are looking for.
There are said to be three companies that are in serious contention for the potential sale, which would be in the three-to-four billion dollar range. Those three companies are Dalian Wanda Group, China’s largest commercial property company and the world’s largest cinema chain operator, WME/IMG, The Blackstone Group and China Media Capital.
It’s worth noting that this would be a complete sale, and not a partial sale such as the deal that went down between Zuffa and the Abu Dhabi-based Flash Entertainment a few years ago, which saw 10 percent ownership of the promotion sold.
The timing for such a sale is considered as close to perfect as possible, with what is expected to be a few of UFC’s biggest all-time events coming up in the summer, fall and winter. Those events kick off with the landmark UFC 200 pay-per-view featuring Brock Lesnar, the UFC 202 event featuring Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz II and the UFC 205 show, which will be UFC’s debut at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The debut of CM Punk, who is expected to be another legitimate draw on pay-per-view, and the return of Ronda Rousey, are also looming.
Stick with MMANews.com for the latest regarding the potential sale of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
