UFC owners are in advanced talks to sell the organisation with at least four parties believed to have submitted bids, according to a report on ESPN.
Multiple sources with knowledge of the negotiations told ESPN that WME/IMG, China Media Capital, The Blackstone Group and Dalian Wanda Group have all submitted bids for the UFC, with the winning bid expected to be valued somewhere in the region of $3.5 – $4 billion.
The reports have been denied by UFC President Dana White, who told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that “the UFC is not for sale”.
Dave Sholler, vice president of public relations and athlete marketing for the UFC, said: “As a private company, we don’t discuss speculation or rumours related to our business.”
According to ESPN, Zuffa LLC, which bought the UFC for $2 million in 2001, are being represented in negotiations by Goldman Sachs, who have advised potential investors that the UFC earned $200-$250 million in 2015 and that a new TV deal in 2019 could bring in an additional $250 million in revenue.
Dalian Wanda Group, a China-based conglomerate, are believed to be the favourites to buy the UFC should any deal go ahead.
Chairman of the group, Wang Jianlin (above), is China’s richest man and, according to Forbes Magazine, is worth nearly $35 billion.
